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^^^ LETTER 



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OVERNOR PEIRPOINT 



TO HIS EXCELLENCY 



THIE I=^I^ESIIDEI<TT 



HONORABLE COIs^GRESS OF THE imiTED STATES, 



ON THE SUBJECT OF 



ABUSE OF MILITARY POWER IN THE COMMAND 

OF GENERAL BUTLER IN VIRGINIA AND 

NORTH CAROLLtTA. 









WASIIINaTON, D. C. : 
McGILL L WITHEROW, PRINTERS AND STEREOTYPERS. 

180.4. 



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To His Excellency the President 

AND THE Hon. Congress of the [J. S. : 

Gentlemen : It is a most painful necessity which has made 
it imperative on me to call your attention to the abuses of 
military power in Virginia. I have exhausted all the means 
known to me without success, to redress these wrongs. 
Your time is so much occupied that it is impossibly for me 
to go to you individually and relate the contents of the fol- 
lowing pages. Having so many other duties to perform, to 
economize time I have adopted this method as most con- 
venient to^ myself, with a desire also to consult your 
convenience, hoping that you may find a leisure hour to 
look into the subject here presented. 

In addition to what is herein stated in regard to General 
Butler's department in Virginia, I assigned to myself the 
task of stating some facts in regard to the military adminis- 
tration of General Slough in this city of Alexandria during 
the last eighteen months ; but as General Slough's case 
has been referred to the Committee on the Conduct of 
the War, it may be considered premature for me to 
present the facts until that committee has had an oppor- 
tunity to fully investigate the subject. I have only pre- 
sented a few of the cases at Norfolk, and could only do 
so of those in Alexandria, without swelling this pamphlet to 
too large proportions. In Alexandria arbitrary power has 
taken a less range than at Norfolk, but in some of its exer- 
cise it has been more damaging to the principles of our 



organic law. What I mean by arbitrary exercise of power, 
is a ccqmcioiis exercise of power outside of the rules of war in a 
manner to justly render the military authority obnoxious to 
the friends of the Government and the Union cause. 

With a most ardent desire for the welfare and safety of 
our common country, and in the discharge of a most solemn 
duty I owe to those whom I represent, I submit this subject 
to your enlightened and patriotic consideration. 

F. H. PEIRPOINT. 
Alexandria, Va., 

April 18, 1864. 



LETTER 



On the 13th day of April, 1861, the Virginia convention 
went into secret session. Hon. W. T. Willey, now United 
States Senator, wrote to his friends at Morgantown to pre- 
pare for war — the State would secede. They must look for 
the worst. On the 22d of the same montli a mass meeting 
was held at that place ; that being court day, it was expected 
that speakers on both sides would be present, to address the 
people. A delegation of four hundred Union men came 
from the east end of the county. Before they came into 
town they halted, and passed a resolution with GeueralJack- 
son's oath, that no secessionist should speak in town that 
day. They kept their oath. At one o'clock, with drum and 
fife, and national flags carried by different delegations, flags 
displayed from almost every house, ladies and children wel- 
coming, the procession was formed, which paraded the 
streets for an hour. The stand in the public square was 
erected, the masses gathered around, appropriate resolutions 
were adopted, two speeches were made denouncing seces- 
sion and the conspiiators. The crowd refused to disperse, and 
called one of the speakers back to the stand.- Several old 
soldiers of 1812 were there. One of them in great earnest- 
ness, said: "You must tell us what to do." "Do!" said 
the speaker. " Don't in your wrath kill any of these seces- 
sionists, who, like spaniels, are slinking around town. They 
want to be martyrs in a small way, to make capital for their 
cause, and get an opportunity to punish you or incarcerate 
5'ou in a dungeon. We can't spare you in that way. Go 
home, call your children around you. If any ace married, 
call them and your grand-children. Tell them that with 
your strong arms, you and they have cleared out your farms, 
built your houses, and filled them with the conveniences of 
life. Point them to your barns and your stock ; say to them 
that this is the product of the hard earnings of white men 



wlio never owned a slave ; that now the slaveholders of the 
east, with the traitors in the west, are seeking to appropri- 
ate it all for the greater security, as they say, of tlieir slaves. 
Say to your children, no ; their object is to enslave the labor- 
ing white man, and to use your strong arms and all our 
substance to accomplish their wicked purpose. Then tell 
them to get their guns in order, and then in reunion let all, 
meekly kneeling around the family altar, promise before 
God to stand by the flag and Constitution of our fothers, 
and to defend it as long as life lasts. Then ask God, for the 
sake of his son, to seal your covenant in heaven, and give 
you grace and courage to defend your section and country 
from the prey of the negro-ocracy of the south. That's what 

DO." 

Upon this charge being received, the teeth of old men and 
young men chattered with rage, and they shouted, "we will 

DO IT." 

A similar spirit and similar advice was given all over 
Northwestern Virginia. The people rallied, a great meet- 
ing was called by both parties at Fairmont, the center of 
secessionists, on the first Monday in May. Both parties 
were there in their strength; both flags were flying; fist 
fights commenced before nine o'clock, By two, both parties 
had speaker son the stand ; seceshin the courthouse. Union 
out of doors. Before four, the- secesh attempted to break 
up the Union crowd, and the Union men whipped them in 
a fair fist fight of not less than eighty on a side. This broke 
the spirit of secession in "West Virginia, and it has been 
under cow ever since. 

The first Wheeling convention was called under the aus- 
pices of the Hon. John S. Carlisle. The second was called, 
the State government reorganized and recognized by the 
Government of the United States as the government of 
Virginia, I think wisely and rightly. The restored govern- 
ment put upward of eighteen thousand Union soldiers into 
the field during the first two years of the war. West Vir- 
ginia has put in some three thousand since, in addition to 
which, a large number of the old troops have re-enlisted. 
These troops were as brave and as true as any Avho ever 
drew a trigger. The bones of many of them are now bleach- 
ing on almost every battle field, from the Peninsula to 
Vicksburg. 

The State was divided by the consent of the Legislature 
and Congress. The ofificers and people indorsed the Presi- 
dent's proclamation of emancipation, the policy of enlisting 



negroes in the Army, and the currency and the five-twenties. 
While "West Virginia has put the troops above named into 
the field, her people have subscribed for a greater amount of 
the five-twenty loan than the State of Rhode Island, though 
one fourth of the territory is yet overrun by guerrillas ; and 
Norfolk has established a national bank, with a capital of 
$100,000, and the amount all paid in. 

After the division of the State, I consented to be elected 
Governor of the State, with the distinct understanding that 
I would govern it as a free State. The General Assembly 
was called together ; it passed a bill providing for a consti- 
tutional convention ; the members of the convention were 
elected by the people. The convention met on the 13th of 
February, 1864, in the city of Alexandria, and on the 10th 
day of March, with but one dissenting voice, adopted an 
amendment to the constitution abolishing slavery and in- 
voluntary servitude in the State forever. 

The mode of organization of the State is complete, and 
as soon as the rebels are driven out, I expect to organize 
every county with loyal ofiicers, under the old flag and a 
free constitution, without one cent of charge to the Fed- 
eral Government. 

I had the honor of acting as Governor of Virginia for two 
years, with the seat of government at the city of Wheeling. 
Troops were assembled there, mustered into the service of 
the United States, and sent to the field. Troops from other 
States passed through the city. The police regulations were, 
I think, about as good as they are in Norfolk and Alexan- 
dria, I had a small military force of two companies, with 
Major Darrfor commander of the post and provost marshal. 
The military patroled the city, and when disorderly soldiers 
were found, they were arrested and sent to the guard house. 
When disorderly citizens were found, they were arrested and 
handed over to the civil authority. When soldiers were 
passing through or stopping in the city, the places where 
liquor was sold were ordered to be closed. When the exi- 
gency passed the prohibition was removed. I had inter- 
course constantly with General McClellan, while he was 
there ; with General Rosecrans, who succeeded him ; then 
with General Fremont ; then General Schenck, and General 
Cox, General Scammon, and all the time with General Kel- 
ley. The intercourse was of the kindest nature, always on 
their part showing every disposition to assist in building up 
the civil government, and establishing the authority of law. 
A question was started as to where the military authority 



stopped and the civil began. The first case that occurred 
was the shooting of one soldier by another, at Parkersbnrg. 
The case was referred to me. I answered, the military 
could try by court-martial, or the olieuder could be handed 
over to the civil court. The latter course was adopted. 
The jury did not hang him, but awarded him ten years in 
the penitentiary. He is now expiating his crime. AH simi- 
lar cases took the same direction. Harmon}^ has always 
existed between the civil and military authorities in "West 
Virginia. The result is a prosperous people, where they 
are safe, and the great majority truly loyal, feeling that the 
government is a blessing. ( 

I make these prefatorj^ remarks to you, gentlemen, merely 
to impress upon your mind the fact that I am not a late ad- 
venturer in this rebellion, and a stranger to civil and military 
rule working together ; but to remind you that I have been 
right in the midst of the rebellion since the commencement, 
and know of what I am writing, thereby hoping to call your 
serious consideration to the condition of things on the Poto- 
mac, Chesapeake, and Albemarle Sound. I now promise you 
that the information I give you, I do not expect to be pleas- 
ant, but it is no less true and painful to me. I do it in the 
discharge of high ofiicial duty, believing that you do not 
understand the extent to which military power is abused. 

In connection with the movement in Western Virginia, I 
desire to make a single remark. In the border counties of 
Pennsylvania and Ohio, now represented by the Hon. Messrs. 
Dawson, Lazeer, White, and Morris, there was and still is 
a powerful secession- element, ready to join the army of Jefi'. 
Davis had they an opportunity. In the fall of 1862, they 
gloried in wearing butternut breast pins, and at their 
public meetings indulged in the refined exercise of lapping 
out their tongues in imitation of copper snakes. So bitter 
were they in their denunciation of the movement of the 
restored government of Virginia, both in Pennsylvania and 
Ohio, that I gave orders if certain leaders came into Virginia 
to arrest them and send them out of the State, as not safe 
to circulate there. If Western Virginia had gone into the 
rebellion with spirit, she would have involved the whole 
border of western Pennsylvania and southern Ohio, and 
God only knows what the result would have been. The 
masses of a great and time-honored party had been taught 
by their leaders that pro-slavery, secession and democracy 
were all the same, and the highest duty they owed their 
country was to oppose Abraham Lincoln, abolition, and the 



9 

XTniou. But fortunately for the country, many patriotic 
democrats came forward with a large number of the rank and 
file, and declared to the world that democracy, as they un- 
derstood it, had a far. different meaning, and have demon- 
strated the sincerity of their pretensions on many a hard 
fought battle-field, and are now shoulder to shoulder with 
thesincere Union men of all parties. Future generations 
wnll admire them for their courage in recognizing country 
before party. 

By the act of the General Assembly, I was authorized to 
establish the seat of government in the bounds of the old 
State wdien West Virginia was organized. I fixed it at Al- 
exandria. The county and municipal laws of Norfolk and 
Portsmouth and Norfolk county were put into operation 
about the 1st of June, 1863, by the election and qualification 
of proper officers, under the restored government of Virginia. 
Each officer, before entering on his duty, was sworn to sup- 
port the Constitution of the United States as the supreme 
law of the land, and the laws of the restored government 
of A^rginia — anything in the ordinance of the convention 
which assembled at Kichmond on the 13th of February, 
1851, to the contrary, notwithstanding. Lawyers, doctors, 
merchants, and every person doing business under a license, 
and clerks in stores, were required to take the sanie oath. 
Accomac and Northampton, Alexandria and Fairfax had 
been organized before that time. General Bix, with Gen- 
eral Viele, commanded at Norfolk. I saw but little of them. 
General Foster succeeded. I found him to be a soldier, 
every inch, and after we got acquainted, were strong friends, 
as far as I knou\ General Naglee I pass over. General 
Lockwood commanded in Accomac and Northampton. I 
found him as true as steel, working faithfully to restore 
law and order, ready on all occasions to do his duty in as- 
sisting the civil government to establish its ascendancy, for 
which I commend him. In November, General Butler 
was appointed to the command of the eastern district of 
Virginia and North Carolina. I sighed when I heard it — I 
remembered New Orleans. There was short rejoicing at 
Norfolk among the ultra Union men ; but in a short time 
the wail of woe came up. I was satisfied he was going to 
abrogate civil government if he could ; that Unionism 
availed nothing if it lay between him and his object. That 
he was the seventh vial poured out to try the faith of the 
saints. 

I visited Norfolk about the last of December, and fully 



10 

realized my ai^preheoslons. Among the first orders General 
Butler issued, wheu he went to Norfolk in November last, was 
one threatening punishment to any person who used any 
disrespectful language to any officer or soldier in the Union 
army. Next was an order directing all permits granted by 
his predecessors fo be returned to him. Then came an order 
charging one per cent, on all goods shipped into his military 
district, to go to the support of the provost marshal's fund. 
All vessels clearing from his district pay from fi.ve to fifteen 
dollars according to size, to the same fund. Oyster men 
were taxed from fifty cents to one dollar per month for the 
privilege of taking oysters ; if in one field, fifty cents, if in 
two, one dollar. The provost marshal's court was fully es- 
tablished, trying causes in controversy, from one dollar to 
writs of ejectment; judgments rendered in land cases, and 
writs of possession given in five and ten days from date of 
judgment. One man, unable to pay a large judgment ren- 
dered against him, was placed in a felon's cell in jail and a 
guard put over his house. Costs, on about the scale of a civil 
suit in court, with a percentage, for collection were charged, 
bringing money into the j^rovost marshal's fund in a stream. 
Rebels, whom he had forced to take the oath to support tho 
Constitution of the United States, but who would not take the 
oath to Support the restored government of Virginia, would 
go to this provost court to have their judgments against 
their neighbors, and for the further reason that they paid no 
internal revenue if they went to the provost court. But if 
they went to the civil court before bringing their suit they 
had to take an oath to support the restored government of 
Virginia and pay for an internal revenue stamp, which went 
into the United States treasury. The provost court saved 
all this, which was distasteful to rebels. This same pro- 
vost court was issuing prohibitions forbidding tax collectors 
to sell rebel property levied on for State and city taxes. 
While I was there the provost marshal turned two men out 
of jail who had been committed by a justice for a misde- 
meanor or a felony, and were awaiting their trial before a 
court of competent criminal jurisdiction. 

I left Norfolk about the 30th of December, sick, mentally 
and physically, and come to this city; some time afterwards 
I wrote General Butler a letter, calling his attention partic- 
ularly to the abuses above alluded to, asking his co-operation 
in establishing the civil government, stating the opposition 
of the secessionists, and their desire to break up the civil 
rule. I also called his attention to military interferences 



11 

with the city regulations of the markets, and reminded him 
that his provost court could make no sale of real or personal 
estate on its judgments and executions that would pass any 
title to the property sold. That a provost marshal's court 
was not the kind of a court contemplated in the Constitu- 
tion of the United States in which a party could not be 
deprived of his property b}- due course of law. 

The General replied to my letter, expressing a desire to 
sustain the civil government ; and in regard to his provost 
court, said " that no debts shall be collected save against 
those who are in rebellion against the United States in favor 
of loyal citizens, and when the property might escape from 
the honest creditor by reason of confiscaUon." In regard to 
the civil laws, he remarked : " The difficulty I find is that 
there are all the civil officers there known to the law, and 
none of the Government." He further said, " in regard to 
the stalls in the market, I have only directed an interference 
to prevent a collection by the city government of a year's 
rent in advance, which would virtually close the market and 
stop supplies to my troops." 

As I shall hereafter refer to this provost court and the 
markets, I shall not comment further on these extracts here. 
In regard to the officers of the civil government, without 
the government, it is easy to be seen that the best men 
in the world would be discouraged in the e;i:ecution 
of the civil laws when there was a provost marshal in 
the city releasing criminals, forbidding sales, assuming con- 
currentjurisdiction in everything, and threatening to imprison 
the civil officers ; and as to securing debts of honest creditors 
against debtors in rebellion, I informed the General that there 
was the Court of Hustings of the two cities, the Circuit 
Court, and the District Court of the United States, all open 
with full jurisdiction in all cases, and by the laws of the 
State any person in rebellion was a non-resident for purposes 
of attachment, and that the attachment was a lien on real 
estate from the date of issue, so there could have been no 
reason for his provost court. 

The next thing I heard was that Tazwel Taylor, of the 
city of jSTorfolk, was summoned to the council of the Gen- 
eral to consult about the civil affairs of Norfolk. The Mayor 
was summoned also. When the Mayor went, who is a true 
and loyal man, he found, to his surprise, Tazwel in the room 
with the General. The General decently cat-hauled the 
Mayor for about one hour on the afi'airs of the civil govern- 
ment of the city in the presence of Tazwel Taylor, an*^! 



12 

through his promptings, much to the chagrin of the Mayor. 
Tazwel Taylor was the worst rebel in Norfolk, the agent for 
taking the confederate loan there ; took $15,000 of it him- 
self, and bullied others to take, until he raised about 
$75,000 ; was an aid on Magruder's staff while the rebels 
occupied Norfolk, and the most offensive rebel in the city to 
Union men, because he was the chief adviser of the rebels. 
Now, he becomes General Butler's adviser as to the restored 
government in the city. This may seem strange when you 
take General Butler's ultra views into consideration, but it 
is true. The General's letter was dated 10th of January, 
and his provost court is still in operation. The last civil 
case I heard of was the trial of a habeas corpus case, deter- 
mining the custody of two children between husband and 
wife. 

But to show the hollow pretense of taking care of Union 
men's rights : Harrington and Boyle, loyal merchants of 
Baltimore, brought suit and obtained judgment, in the Cir- 
cuit Court of Norfolk city, against a rebel in arms against the 
United States. He had real estate in Norfolk city, and there 
was an order of sale, under an attachment duly issued. The 
order of sale, was directed to the city sergear\t ; and that 
those of 3'ou who are lawyers may see how easily a provost 
marshal issues a writ of prohibition, I will here insert the 
writ in full : 

Norfolk, Va., 3Iarch 1, 1863. 

Sir: You will not sell at auction the house and lot on 
corner of Cumberland and Wolf streets, belonging to James 
Campbell, and now occupied by Wm. Barrett, on Tuesday, 
the 3d of March, at 12 o'clock, to satisfy an execution in 
your hands, as you have advertised to do for a few days 
past. 

By order of 

Lieut. Col. WHELDON, 

Provost Marshal. 
George P. ^Gk^.CapL cj- A. D. C. 
Depuiy Provost llarshal. 
To "W". B, Jones, Sergeant, 

Corporation Court, Norfolk, Virginia. 

On the third of March he issued another iu the same 
case, commanding him to respect the order of the first. 
Can there be a more flagrant usurpation of power than this? 
The man Bennett, who was living on the property, was a 



13 

rebel ; the owner was in rebellion, and this is the court that 
is to secure protection to loyal men of the North, lest the 
Government of the United States should cheat them out of 
their just debts. And this is only a sample of others. Im- 
mediately on the issuing of this order, Judge Sneed, of the 
Circuit Court, wrote a letter to General Butler protesting 
against interference with the processes and orders of his 
court. On the 23d of this month Judge Sneed had no reply; 
80 this is the act and order of General Butler. This provost 
court takes cognizance of all cases of drunkenness, or other 
violation of city ordinances, has the party arrested, brought 
to his court, fines inflicted and paid into the provost mar 
shaV s fund. 

I was informed in December that the sale of liquor by 
importers into Norfolk was going to be made a monopoly, 
and only a few were going to be allowed to sell. I heard 
more, but it was so incredible and discreditable that I could 
not believe it. I propose now to give you a few cases, 
though incredible as they may appear, truth requires their 
publication. 



DANIELS & ZANTZINGER'S CASE. 



This firm was one of the largest in Norfolk engaged in 
selling groceries and liquors and wood. About the first of 
Januarj' an officer called at their store and asked them how 
much liquor they had in the store. They replied about 
fifteen barrels. He examined the loft and cellar and found 
their statement correct. He then asked them how much 
they had in the shed. They told him he could go and see, 
and directed their clerk to go and show it to him. He went 
and found thirty-eight barrels there. He reported. They 
were immediately summoned before the provost court on a 
charge of fraudulently concealing from the officers of the 
United States the amount of whisky on hand ; and it 
was mentioned in the charge, by way of recital, that the 
whisky was passed into the department, and being fraudu- 
lently retained, to the prejudice of good order and military 
discipline in the department. I here give the charge and 
evidence before the provost court. 



14 



United States ^ 

vs. W7? the Provost Court. 

Zantzinger & Daniels. J 

Charge. 

Fraucliilently concealing from the officer of the United 
States Government an amount of whisky consisting of fifty- 
three barrels, being an amount over and above the invoice 
given, upon due demand, to the lieutenant of the provost 
guard of the city of N'orfolk. The said whisky being fraud- 
ulently passed into the department, and being fraudulently 
retained to the prejudice of good order and military disci- 
pline in the department. This at Norfolk on or about the 
1st of January, 1864. 

Testimony. 

Lieutenant Wood being duly sworn, says : About the Its 
of January last I was commanding provost guard; was 
ordered to go and get an inventory of the liquor of Messrs. 
Zantzinger & Co. ; asked them for a list of liquors on hand, 
and they gave me the one now in court. There are some 
fourteen or fifteen barrels of liquor on that list which were 
in the store. I asked Mr. Daniels if there was any liquor 
in that shed which was on the premises near the house; 
he told me I might go in and look for myself; went in with 
one of their clerks and examined ; found fifty-three barrels 
of whisky, and other barrels of pork, fish, &c. ; the whisky 
was covered over with hay and loose hay ; Daniels told me 
he did not intend I should find any whisky, as he did not 
want any one to know that they had such a large supply on 
hand ; if it was known they had so much on hand they 
could not get their price for it ; also, said the whisky had 
been moved from the store house and put into the shed 
because the foundation of the store was weak and liable to 
give away under so great a pressure in the second story, 
where the whisky was ; he said it was covered over with 
hay because the negroes were about there constantl}^ at 
work, and they wished to conceal it from them ; this shed 
seemed to be a place where hay, barrels of pork, fish, and 
many other things were kept. 

Sergeant Holcombe, being duly sworn, says : Was one of 



15 

the provost guard on or about the Ist day of January last 
past ; searched the shed on the premises near the store ot 
Zantzinger & Daniels for whisky ; found a large number of 
barrels of whisky in the shed covered ovei ,vith loose hay 
and hay in bales ; it seemed to be a place wnere hay, barrels 
of whisky, pork, and fish, and many other articles were 
kept. 

George P, Kneller, being duly sworn for the defense, says: 
I have lived in Norfolk many years ; am a State officer, 
inspector of provisions ; have been acquainted with the bus- 
iness of Zantzinger & Co. for a number of years ; they have 
always been large dealers in liquors, groceries, lumber, &c. ; 
they had a very large supply of liquor at the time the rebels 
were here, and about the time they left ; I know they had 
several hundred barrelsof whisky on their premises; a short 
time before General Viele left this department I saw four 
four-horse Government wagons haul two loads each of bar- 
rels of whisky from the custom house to their store, pro- 
tected by a Government guard ; this liquor was some that 
was confiscated and purchased of the Government by Zant- 
zinger & Daniels. 

WiUiam Knight, he'mg dxi\y sworn for the defense, says: 
for a little more than than six months last past I have been 
a clerk for Zantzinger & Co, When I came there they had 
a large quantity of whisky on hand. They have received 
no whisky from any source since I have been living with 
them. If they had received any since I have been with them 
I should certainly have known it, as I am cognizant of all 
their business matters. I have not been employed there ex- 
cept in the day time ; my duties have not kept me there at 
night, but I know that all the liquor on their premises was 
there when I came there to act as clerk. Thej^ built the 
shed to relieve the foundation of the store of too much 
weight, and put the whisky in the shed with other goods, 
as soon as it was finished. 

Frank Smith, being duly sworn for the defense, says : I 
have been in the employ of Messrs. Zantzinger & Co., as 
night watchman, for nearly a year last past ; I was employed 
in that capacity on the 18th of February last, and have been 
so engaged ever since ; my habit has been to go on duty 
when they close business for the day, and to stay all night ; 
I am not there during the day ; ray instructions from Mr. 
Zantzinger were not to allow any one to land liquor at their 
wharf while I was there on duty ; no article of any kind 
ever came to their premises at night while I acted as watch- 



16 

mau — liquor or anytbing else, except upon one occasion. 
One night some sailors from a schooner Ij'ing in the stream, 
came ashore there with a lot of whisky, as they said, in 
bottles. They got ashore there before I saw tliem,and were 
passing through the yard towards Wide Walter street, when 
I hailed them ; they begged me to let them pass through. I 
told them to get away from the store as soon as possible, 
which the}' did ; neither Zantzinger or Daniels knew any- 
thing of the matter; Zantzinger told me if I allowed any 
one to land liquor there he would shoot me. They paid me 
forty-five dollars per month which I was anxious to receive 
for the support of my family, and I obeyed the irinstructions 
very strictly so as to keep my place. 

Lieutenant SewaU, being duly sworn, says : I am in the 
revenue service. My duty for a long time has been to ex- 
amine vessels and cargoes bound to Horfolk. I have been 
ver}^ strict and as active as possible in searching vessels for 
contraband goods. I have suspected vessels consigned to 
Zantzinger & Co., with having contraband goods concealed 
on board, but upon diligent search and inquiry have always 
found myself mistaken. Some two months ago, Mr. Dan- 
iels remarked to me, in speaking upon the subject of smug- 
gling whisky, they had no motive for being engaged in 
such practices, inasmuch as they had more whisk}^ then on 
hand than they could dispose of. At his request, I went up 
stairs to look at what they had. I saw a very large quantity, 
in barrels, marked "cider vinegar," at least those I saw were 
80 marked. I think at the lowest calculation, there was one 
hundred barrels, and I should not be surprised if what Mr. 
Daniels stated at the time was correct, they had three hun- 
dren barrels then on hand. I have examined the barrels of 
whisky found in Zantzinger & Go's shed covered with hay. 
It is my deliberate opinion, founded upon strict inquiry, 
that the whisky found there is no part of that brought to 
Norfolk b}^ the brigantine "Judge Hathaway," concealed 
under the coal, supposing the "Judge Hathaway" did actu- 
ally bring any to Norfolk. I felt quite certain at one time 
that the brigantine had brought smuggled liquor to Norfolk, 
and that Zantzinger & Co. received it; but I have had rea- 
sons to change my mind on tijat subject. Col. Whelden, 
the provost marshal, aided me in making inquiries into the 
matter, and we both came to the conclusion that Zantzin- 
ger & Daniels were not implicated in the matter of any 
liquor brought in the "Judge Hathaway," if any was 
brought, which seems doubtful. I want it understood, that 



17 

in all the action I have taken in this investigation, my feel- 
ings have been enlisted in behalf of the Government, by 
whom I am employed, and that I have not been and am not 
influenced in the least by any friendship for Zantzinger & 
Co. On the other hand, I have not sought to injure them 
any more than my duty might require me to do so. 

W. W. Wing, being duly sworn, says : I am the post- 
master of Korfolk. Have known Zantzinger & Daniels 
many years. Some two or three months ago, the time not 
ver}^ certain, I was at their store. Daniels remarked to me 
that he had been very busy all the morning removing 
whisky from up stairs. He said that it was too heavy to be 
on the second floor, which was weak, and he had removed 
it to the shed. I saw them moving quite a number of 
barrels into the shed. I told Daniels that some one would 
steal all the whisky out of the shed, as all that was neces- 
sary was to take off a few boards and go in. He said he 
reckoned there was no danger, as it would be covered over 
with the hay, and there was a watchman about the premises 
all night. I know that Zantzinger & Co. have had a good 
deal of liquor on hand for a long time. At the time of, and 
since the evacuation of the city by the confederates, they had 
quite a large quantity on hand. 

Clark, being duly sworn, says: I have been 

one of the wharf guards ever since the troops came to ISTor* 
folk. A large part of the time I have been on guard at 
Zantzinger' s wharf. Nothing was ever brought there at 
night to my knowledge, nor have I ever heard of any thing 
being brought there at night. I do not think any contra- 
band goods could have been landed there at night without 
my hearing or seeing something of it. Such matters have 
always been mentioned by the members of the guard to each 
other, and I should probably have known in some way that 
contraband goods had been landed there, if such had really 
been the case. 

3Ir.' Dunn : I am XJ. S. Collector ; the license shown me 
is one issued from my oflice to Messrs. Zantzinger & Co.; it 
was issued the 21st of August, 1863 ; they told me at the 
time they had a large supply of liquor on hand ; they were 
open and candid in regard to their having large quantities 
of liquors ; they made no efforts at concealment. 

Col. Dulcmey : I have bought a good deal of liquor of 
Messrs. Zantzinger & Co. within the last four or flve months ; 
they have always stated to me that they had large quanti- 
2 



18 

ties on hand ; they sold it publicity, and apparently did not 
care who knew the^' had it. [Col. Dulaney is in the regular 
army of the United States.] 

Capt. Croft : Have talked with Messrs. Zantzinger & Co. 
about their having liquor for sale ; asked thera if they sold 
to soldiers ; they said they neverdid; said the\' had a large 
amount on hand ; there was no sign of concealment. 

Mr. AUaii : This January one year ago, was in the store of 
Zantzinger & Co.; saw a great many barrels marked "cider 
vinegar." Daniels drew whisky from barrels among the 
lot, and handed me a drink ; there must have been some 
seventy or eighty barrels marked "cider vinegar," which 
I understood to be filled with whisky. 

Captain Drianrnond: At the time of the evacuation of 
Norfolk I remember that Zantzinger & Daniels had quite 
a large quantity of liquor on hand ; I think I saw some two 
hundred barrels in their store, some up stairs, some down. 

Lieutenajit Wood (recalled): When I called at Messrs. 
Zantzinger & Co.'s store, I asked them, as I remember, what 
liquors they had in their store. They gave me an inventory 
which I think is correct. I then asked them what they had 
in the shed. Daniels replied, " go in there and see for your- 
self." They sent a clerk in with me. They did not say 
they had no liquor in the shed, they said nothing about the 
liquors in the shed till I found it, except "go in and exam- 
ine for yourself." The first barrel I found under the hay I 
asked the clerk what it was he ; said it was whisky. 

The testimony closed here. One hour was required for 
consultation ; verdict at the end of the hour : Fine one 
thousand dollars, whisky confiscated and sold at auction on 
the public streets of Norfolk, about the 20th of January, for 
upwards of $14,000. Yes, I say, fourteen thousand dollars. 
Now I ask the impartial judgment of any man living, on 
that testimony, after they had paid their city, State, and 
United States license, what is there in the case to inflict this 
punishment ? What military order was pretended to be vio- 
lated? But 3-0U will mark, it was publicl}^ known they 
had liquor in the shed ; the officer knew it. lie seems to be 
playing sharp; asks them "how much they had in the 
store?'' They answered correctly. "How much in the 
shed ? " "Go and see ; clerk, go with them." Were they 
criminal in having it to the prejudice of good order and 



19 

militar}^ discipline ? Was it smuggled ? Look to the record. 
"With the verdict the following order was issued : 

Headquarters Provost Marshal's Office, 
District of Virginia, Norfolk, Va., January 16, 1864. 

Messrs. Zantzinger & Co. : 

I am ordered to instruct you that you will be allowed to 
sell your stock of goods now on hand, but you will not be 
allowed to increase your stock by purchase or otherwise, but 
will sell out with a view of closing business. 

Signed, CHAS. M. WHELDEIST, 

Lt. Col. and Provost Marshal, DisL Va. 

But the animus of General Butler can only be seen by 
connecting this case with 

HODGINS'S CASE. 

In jSTovember, 1863, Hodgins bought a stock of hardware 
of a man by the name of Hartshorn, wdio was trustee for an 
old firm w^hich failed before the rebellion. The hardware 
was in a storehouse belonging to "William E. .Taylor, who 
was in the rebel army. Mrs. Taj-lor, his wife, resided in 
Norfolk. Hartshorn had rented the house from her. Hod- 
gins continued to occupy the house at fifty dollars per month, 
and paid her that sum for the month of December. Some- 
time in December Major Moss, the agent of the Treasury 
Department to collect and take care of abandoned property, 
called on Hodgins and told him he probably would have to 
pay the rent to the United States Government. Hodgins 
replied that he was willing to pay anybody that was entitled ; 
that he had paid that month to Mrs. Taylor in advance, as 
she was needy. Major Moss took Hodgins's name and left. 
Between the 15th and 20th of January, Major Moss called 
on Hodgins, and told him he had received instructions from 
headquarters that the house he occupied was needed for mili- 
tary purposes, and he w^ould have to leave. Hodgins used 
all the arguments he could against leaving ; that he had put 
repairs on. the storehouse, that he was not able to move, and 
that it would cost a large amount to fit up another house. 
Major Moss called a second time, and the order was peremp- 
tory. The young man left ; had to pay a Jew $300 for the 
key of another house ; to fix shelving at a cost of $180, and 
remove ten thousand dollars worth of small hardware. The 



20 

house Hodgins was ordered to leave was the best and most 
eligible business house in the cit}', on Main, at the head of 
Market street. Hodgius got into his new house about the 
7th of February. The day he left, the Taylor house com- 
menced being fitted up for a liquor store, and in a few days 
it was occupied by a firm from Boston, with some $25,000 
worth of liquors of all kinds, and groceries. About the 
same time another firm from Boston and another from Low.- 
ell, Massachusetts, came in with large assortments of liquors, 
80 that I am safe in saying that in thirty days from the time 
Zantzinger & Daniel's whisky was sold, there were $75,000 
worth of liquors in ISTorfolk, in the hands of Bostonians, 
when a native of Virginia, or any other State, could not get 
a permit for one gallon. 

Put the charge against Zantzinger & Daniels, with the 
order to remove Hodgins out of the house together, and it 
only proves a fixed determination to close them up, break 
them up, put $15,000 dollars into the provost marshal's fund, 
and make a clear track for these Boston men to monopolize 
the whole business ; and Major Moss says, he talked with 
General Butler about requiring Hodgins to remove, and the 
General pressed his removal, but did not give an actual order. 
Hodgins went to the provost marshal and tried to get him 
to interfere. He asked Hodgins if he had a written contract 
with Major Moss for the house ; he said, no. He then said 
he could do nothing. 

Zantzinger is the brother-in-law of Commodore Farragut 
and a member of the loyal Legislature of Virginia. Daniels 
is a loyal business man. Hodgins was in the confederate 
army, but left it at an early day, came home, took the oath, 
and has behaved himself and claims to be a loyal man. 

G. ^Y. SINGLETON'S CASE. 

G. W. Singleton was a resident of Nausemond county; 
was made postmaster on the 16th day of April, 18G1, when 
no other man would take the place under Mr. Lincoln ; had 
two stores, a farm, and seven slaves. When the Union army 
took Suffolk, he was the first man in the county who went 
forward immediately and took the oath ; moved both stores 
together into Suffolk; had his dwelling, storehouse, and 
twelve other small houses on the bank of the river. When 
Long-street attacked SuflJblk last spring, the Union batteries 
were erected in the Town Square, back of Singleton's houses. 
His storehouse was blown up and his dwelling and other 



21 

houses were torn down, lest they should take lire and pre- 
vent the working of the batteries. Singleton was sent to 
the mouth of the river, and piloted the magazine boat 
from the James River to Suffolk. He went back again and 
piloted up a gun boat. When the gun boat got opposite his 
farm they were attacked by the rebels, who occupied the 
farm. Singleton told the Union men to spare nothing; he 
had there 500 bushels of corn in the crib, 800 pounds of 
bacon smoked in his smoke house, with all the other articles 
a thrift}^ farmer would have around him. It was all destroyed ; 
not a dollar's worth of buildings, fences, corn, bacon, house, 
or anything else was left. After the rebels were repulsed he* 
took his wife and children, and $3,500 in money, which was all 
he had left out of an estate of $40,000, and went to ISTorfolk. 
His money was running down, his eldest daughter ready to 
go to school, and something must be done. When he saw 
Daniels & Zantzinger's liquor was to be sold in Norfolk, it 
was natural to suppose the purchasers would be permitted 
to resell, so he purchased ten barrels, for which he paid 
$3,325, bought some groceries, and in the course of eight 
or ten days, opened a store, having paid State, city, and 
United States license. About seven days after he com- 
menced selling. General Butler's famous order, No. 19, came 
out, requiring all grocery and liquor dealers to obtain a per- 
mit therefor at his headquarters. Singleton immediately 
went to Fort Monroe with Governor Cowper. Cowper 
stated Singleton's case to Colonel Shafer, chief-of-staff. 
Colonel Shafer immediately gave an order to Captain Cassell, 
provost marshal, to grant Singleton a permit to sell groceries 
and liquors. Singleton returned to Norfolk, and in a few 
days, as his stock was running down, he made out a requisi- 
tion for permission to bring from Baltimore liquors and 
groceries. General Wild signed it. He took it to Captain 
Cassel at Fort Monroe to get it approved ; handed it to Cas- 
sel, who pitched it into a pigeon hole. Singleton requested 
him to sign it ; Cassel refused, saying that Singleton had no 
permit. Singleton assured him that he had. Cassell asked 
to see it ; Singleton handed it to him. He said it was a mis- 
take ; it was intended for a permit to keep an eating house. 
Singleton asked him to look at Colonel Shafer's order; Cap- 
tain Cassell said he did not know anything about Shafer's 
order; he would have to wait until Colonel Shafer come 
home ; he would be back perhaps next week, or the week 
after, or may be not at all. So Singleton went to General 
Butler and stated his case. General Butler said he would 



22 

have to wait until Captain Cassell reported the case to him. 
But Singleton attempted to urge the matter, and General 
Butler replied, "j'ou want to force me, do you. Now, the 
less you say the better." So poor Singleton had to leave, 
his permit taken from him, and there he is, with the residue 
of his whisky on hand — no permit to sell. 

WM. R JONES'S CASE. 

Mr. Jones has resided in Norfolk for twenty years; was a 
prosperous man, engaged in grocery and liquor business. 
•At commencement of the rebellion was worth perhaps 
$40,000, partly invested in State and bank stocks, and other- 
wise where it is mostly unproductive; is a truly loyal man. 
He made application for a permit to bring in liquors, and 
was informed by Provost Marshal Whelden that applications 
must be made directly to General Butler by letter. He 
went in a few days to see about it, and was informed by 
Capt. Cassell that the permit was not granted. He went on 
to Baltimore and called on his return and inquired again. 
He was informed by same party that no more permits would 
be granted. Jones asked reason. The reply was General 
Butler would take the responsibility, and that was the end 
of it. 

A NAMELESS CASE. 

A sedate, quiet, honest gentleman, resident in a city I am 
not permitted to name, was informed that by going to 
another city I am not permitted to name, and inquire at a 
certain place, he would find a man, and by paying him he 
could get a permit to sell liquor and groceries in Norfolk. 
He went, found the man, and asked for a permit. The 
reply was, "How much can you pay?" Answered, "Not 
one dollar." " You can't have the permit." He left, got 
letters of good standing as to character and loyalty, and 
took them to General Butler. The General asked him 

where he lived. "In ." "But," says the General, 

" I am giving these permits to natives in Norfolk, to en- 
courage them." "Well," says my friend, "lam a native 
of Norfolk ; only left there a few years ago, and want to go 
back again." " Well," said the General, " Colonel Shafer, 
my cliief-of-staff, who attends to this business, is absent at 
present, and when he returns your case shall receive first 
consideration." The poor man waited ten days, saw three 



23 

new liquor and grocery firms open up after he made his 
application, and called on General Butler again, who very 
politely informed him that Colonel Shafer, his chief-of-statf 
had not yet returned. 

One man in Norfolk, who has been there two or three 
years has a permit, and says he got it in such a disgrace- 
ful way that he is ashamed to tell how he got it. Another 
who was known to have money, was accosted one day very 
politely, I believe, by a gent in uniform, and asked how 
much he would give to be shown parties who had one of 
those exclusive permits from whom he could get one third 
interest in the firm. He replied, "I will give two thousand 
five hundred dollars to the party showing me the men, and 
put ten thousand dollars capital into the concern." The 
middleman replied, "I will see you to-morrow." So on the 
morrow the papers were all signed, and the two thousand 
five hundred dollars given. 

The liquor business now stands thus in Norfolk. A few 
men from Boston and Lowell, Mass., have the exclusive 
monopoly of importing it into the city. All the hotels and 
restaurants are open to retail, but not at the bars. They 
have shelves in a room and tables set around. You must 
take a seat at the table as if eating ; the liquor is furnished; 
you pay twenty-five cents per drink — two dollars for a bottle 
holding three half pints of common whisky, and three dol- 
lars for a bottle of good. The restaurant keepers pay these 
Boston men three dollars per gallon for whisky that costs in 
Baltimore from ninety-five to one hundred and five cents, 
and nine dollars per gallon for whisky that costs two dollars 
and a half to three dollars per gallon. The poor oyster men 
musthave whisky, they think; some citizens must have, and 
all the officers and many soldiers will have, let the cost be 
what it will. 

THE GAS WOEKS. 

I think all the holders of gas stock in Norfolk were dis- 
loyal. About the first of July last they stopped making 
gas ; coal run out, and the officers would not take the oath 
of allegiance in order to get permits to ship more. They 
continued closed until December, when General Butler 
issued his order that all the residents in his district should 
take the oath prescribed in the President's amnesty proclam- 
ation. In the order it was stated that every person "to 
have his rights in any way protected must take and subscribe 



24 

the oath," &c. The proposition is here plainly inferrable 
that if they do take and subscribe this oath, their rights of 
property shall be protected. On the issuing of the order 
the president and directors, and all the stockholders (except 
those in rebellion) went forward and took and subscribed 
the oath, and made immediate preparation to start the gas 
works, but they were stopped. General Butler seized the 
whole concern and put them into operation himself, al- 
though the president of the company assured him that he 
eould start them in a few days, and would supply all the ga» 
needed. Yet General Butler sent to Lowell for a man and 
fixtures to repair at a cost of ten thousand dollars, and haa 
now the works in operation, furnishing gas to the city on 
account of somebody, I don't know whom. I suppose the 
profits go into the iwovosi marshaVs fund. He sells the gas 
at nearly double the price paid in Washington. 

In the safe there were upwards of thirteen hundred dol- 
lars, which Dr. Cook, the president, desired to take out, 
but was prohibited and asked to leave it there a few days, 
and assured that he should have it. But he has not been 
able to get one cent of it. 

Now, I grant all these people owning the gas works were 
disloyal. Yet they were in effect assured by this order that 
if they took the oath prescribed they should be protected in 
their rights. They took the oath, and desired to manufac- 
ture their gas. What possible plausibility had Gen. Butler 
for seizing their gas works and their money and appropriat- 
ing them ? Is the making of gas a part of the suppressing- 
of the rebellion ? The fiict is, a large amount of the stock- 
holders are widows, old maids, and orphans — all their sub- 
sistence is taken from them in one way and another. Many 
of them were slave owners ; their slaves are all gone, and in 
the language of Dr. Cook, one of their own number, they 
are only respectable vagabonds, and must, many of them who 
once were wealthy, soon become objects of charity. Then 
why not live up to the bond we made with them — take the 
oath and your rights shall be respected ? They took the 
oath ; their gas works and money were immediately taken 
from them. This, I say, with all due deference, is not the 
way to put down the rebellion. 

MRS. T /ITEM'S CASE. 

Sometime in January, Gen. Butler issued an order ap- 
pointing three commissioners to examine into the condition 



25 

of the savings banks of Norfolk and Portsmouth, under the 
plea that the money of the poor of the city had been depos- 
ited there, and that the oificers had used it and would not 
pay the depositers. It was believed by those who had some 
opportunity to know, that the money had been sent to Rich- 
mond long ago. So it turned out. But Mrs. Tatem, a 
widow lady, had two silver cake baskets and some other 
pieces of silver, belonging to her daughter in Europe, and 
when the rebel army iirst came there in 1861, one of her 
daughters took the silver, placed some napkins around it, 
and put it in a box and placed it in the vault of the savings 
bank in Portsmouth. It remained there until Gen. Butler's 
commissioners went there. Mrs. Tatem called on them 
and asked them for the silver, but she could not get it. They 
treated her politely. She called on the provost marshal. 
He referred her to somebody else, and they referred her back 
to the commissioners, who still refuse to give up the silver. 
So the silver baskets are gone ; she has not been able to get 
them. I heard the story in N'orfolk ; it looked impossible. 
I went to Portsmouth and called at Mrs. Tatem's. She was 
not at home, but her daughter, a modest young lady of per- 
haps seventeen or eighteen years, politely asked me into the 
parlor, and said perhaps she could answer for her manama. 
I told her my business ; she told me that she placed the silver 
in the safe herself, and gave the facts substantially as above. 
She remarked : "We have all taken the oath to the United 
States, I have three brothers, none of them went into the 
rebel army, and we are trying to be good citizens," and she 
added, "but, sir, we have not written to sister what has 
become of her silver, we are ashamed to let it be known in 
Europe that our Government is treating us so badly." Gen- 
tlemen, upon hearing this, my heart filled. I had a new 
hope for my country and the Republic. Pure woman, God 
bless her, she governs the world, and when she makes her 
allegiance, whether to her husband or her country, she will 
die before she will expose the shame of her liege. 

MR. BILISOLLY 

Resided in Portsmouth. Some of the neighboring women 
took some silver to his house, and put it in the possession 
of the female members of his family, without his knowl- 
edge. The old man is about seventy years of age, and was 
a director of the savings bank. He was summoned before 
General Butler, and interrogated as to this silver. The old 



26 

man knew nothing; of it, and so replied. General Butler 
told him he was a liar, and he would put him in Fort IN'or- 
folk on hrcad and water until he learned to tell the truth. 
The old man replied, "Sir, I am your prisoner, or you should 
not address me thus." The old man was put into the fort 
without a blanket, on the cold floor, and is still there. I 
received a letter from one of his daughters, a good Union 
woman, in which she says : " My dear mother sent to Fort 
Monroe a nice new cotton mattress, a pair of blankets, one 
comforter, onepair of sheets, and one pillow, which were never 
delivered to father." At the time Bilisolly was arrested, 
they found in his house, deposited as above stated, in one 
bundle, a large soup ladle, two silver mugs, two pairs of su- 
gar tongs, half a dozen old fashioned table spoons, with 
other table spoons and tea spoons ; and one other bundle, 
somewhat larger,, consisting of twenty-seven pieces, from 
soup ladle to salt spoon. 

Bilisolly is an eccentric man; he laid in liquors at the 
birth of his children, as well as at their wedding. When 
his youngest daughter was born, now twenty years ago, he 
had a surplus of one dozen bottles of wine and eight bottles 
of brandy, which he corked up and laid aside, to break when 
she got married. But the wine and brandy went with the 
silver, and, I suppose, if not since separated, have gone into 
the jwovost marshal's fund together. 

I desire to call attention to the fact that the public have 
been fully informed of General Butler's prompt and even 
severe dealing with the officers of the savings bank, and 
the sending of them to Fort Hatteras and Norfolk ; of the 
seizure of the gas works and running it on his own account, 
but they have never heard one word about what became of 
the silver in Bilisolly's house, Mrs. Tatem's silver baskets, 
or the thirteen hundred dollars in the safe in the gas works. 

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES. 

In February, General Butler issued an order asking for 
bids until the first of March, for the privilege of furnishing 
newspapers and periodicals in his district, by the month, 
promising to award the monopoly to the ^^ successful " bidder, 
not to the highest. An old Jevv by the name of Bohn was 
the successful bidder, at the price of $G00 per month. All 
other dealers were closed up, among whom were Mahew & 
Brother, who had a news store in Norfolk, had paid a license 
to the city, State, and United States Governments, and were 



27 

doing a fair business. They supposed tlie order did not re- 
fer to Norfolk, and as they had paid their internal revenue 
license, they continued their t)usiness. Soon, however, 
they were summoned to Old Point before Captain Cassell. 
When they got there, Cassell asked them if they took the 
papers. They replied, " We do." Said he, "Do you read 
them ? " Reply, " We do." " Then," said he, " do you un- 
derstand what you read ? " Answer, " We do, or suppose we 
do." Said he, "Do you live in Norfolk ? " " Yes."_ " Did 
you see the order awarding the privilege of supplying this 
district with papers and magazines to Mr. Bohn ? " They 
answered, " We did." "Well," said he, "that order was 
issued by command of General Butler, and if you persist 
in bringing papers into this department, I will use all my 
influence to have you punished." Thus, American citizens 
from Pennsylvania, who have resided in Norfolk near two 
years, are cut off from business. They paid the United 
States Government $18 45 for internal revenue license alone, 
with a solemn undertaking on the part of the Government 
to protect them in their business. And this in addition to 
what they would pay on income ; but the income has gone 
into the provost marshal's fund. 

THE DOGS. 

It was supposed that all the sources whence money could 
be derived were exhausted. But a happy thought occurred 
as deep contemplation occupied the mind of the soldier ; 
not like that which absorbed Alexander when he wept be- 
cause there was not another world to conquer, but " where 
was more money ?" The Dogs ! happy thought ; dogs occupy 
a tender place in the affections of the old and young and 
middle aged, and there is a good supply in the two cities 
from the poodle to the butcher's bull dog. So the follow- 
ing order was issued, verbatim : 

Headquarters, Norflok and Portsmouth, 

Noj'folk, Va., 3Iarch 7, 1864. 
General Order, No. 6. 

Let every fourth dog in the district be killed. The Pro- 
vost Marshals of Norfolk and Portsmouth will see this order 
executed. By command of Brigadier General E. A. Wild. 

GEORGE H. JOHNSON, 
Capt. and Assistant Adjutant General. 
Charles E. Whelden, 

Lieut. Col. and Provost Marshal. 



28 

This decree was very general, not like that of Herod's in 
regard to children. But ever}^ fourth dog, generall}^ with- 
out reference to age, sex, or condition. This order produced 
great sensation ; it was so general. How would they ascer- 
tain the fourth dog ? At last my friend Peter Whitehurst 
declared that all the dogs in the department would have to 
be killed hut three, then there would be no fourth dog left. 
This produced great consternation among the old maids and 
the young sportsmen for their poodles and pointers, so they 
rushed to the headquarters and inquired for an interpreta- 
tion of the order, when they were very politely informed 
by the following answer : " Ladies and gentlemen, we do not 
desire to hurt a hair on your dog's back. It is only to in- 
crease the j)rovost marshal' s fund that the order is made. All 
of you who will pay two dollars to the provost marshal, get 
a license for your dog, and a collar and put on his neck, can 
keep him, to comfort your declining years and youthful 
sports." On the 23d of March near $1,500 had been paid 
in. I did not learn whether a Boston friend had the mo- 
nopoly of selling dog collars. But the order must be carried 
out by way of paying the money. The veteran soldiers^- 
white soldiers — were detailed to hunt them up and bring 
them in for redemption. 

When I landed in Norfolk the other day, I went up Main 
street to the hotel. After I passed the provost marshal's 
office, I met a veteran soldier leading with a rope a fine, 
noble countenanced pointer dog. The poor fellow looked 
restive. He seemed to recognize a friend in me, and ran 
around me bringing the rope around my limbs, I extricated 
myself and told him I was only a civilian, A little further 
on I met another soldier with a medium-sized cur, with his 
head and tail down, showing his teeth a little, looked surly 
and as much as to say, "I did'nt know that this war was 

about dogs ; I don't care a which side whips," or such 

sentiment as might be expected from a mean cur. A little 
further on I met another soldier with a line around a little 
dog's neck ; he was between the spaniel and the poodle — 
white wool — but dirty ; his chin was close on the ground, 
his eyes upturned meekly, and wagging his tail gentl}^ as 
he went along. A juvenile freedman, who was standing on 
the pavement, said, " little doggie, if you don't get two 
dollars, Massa Butler will take de wag out ob your tail." 

HOWARD ASSOCIATION. 

"When the yellow fever raged in Norfolk and Portsmouth, 
in 1855, the good people of the neighboring cities sent in a 



29 

large amount of money to some gentlemen wlio formed a 
society, nnder the name of the Howard Association. There 
was |60,000 left after the fever had abated. They were 
chartered by the Legislature of Virginia for the purpose of 
taking care of and supporting the orphans made by the 
yellow fever, and other benevolent objects, when that was 
accomplished. The members of the Board have faithfully 
preserved the fund, using the interest for the purpose. There 
are some twelve or fifteen of the orphans which are still a charge 
upon them. Last year they had a small surplus of interest 
which they devoted to the poor. The money is all invested 
by loans, secured by mortgages on real estate and bonds 
with personal security. Some of the directors are disloyal, 
but the evidences of the debt are on record, and they are 
faithfully discharging their duty. On the 22d of March, 
General Butler issued an order, directing a committee of 
three, two of them officers on his staff, one a civilian of re- 
cent settlement in the city, to take possession of the assets 
of the association. On the 22d, Captain Edgar called on 
the secretary of the association, and demanded of him and 
obtained all the assets of the association ; and on the 23d 
ordered all the board to meet him at the provost marshal's 
office. 

General Butler, with the same propriety and more, might 
seize the assets of Girard College, or that of any professor- 
ship in Harvard University, for taking care of the poor in 
]^orfolk and Princess Anne counties. 

I will here make a remark in regard to the great clamor 
through the North about General Butler taking charge of 
the poor. He has got a preacher going around trying to 
convince the people that General Butler is a very proper 
man ; he is so liberal to the poor, thus using Heaven's 
liveried missionaries to make his conduct palatable. But 
General Butler can never get the co-operation of the Union 
people of Norfolk in any enterprise, however benevolent, 
while it is under the management of members of his staff 
and associates, simply because they have no confidence in 
them. 

I desire to put to rest this clamor about the Government 
taking care of the poor in Norfolk and Princess Anne coun- 
ties, and the two cities. Ever since the Union troops occu- 
pied the city of Norfolk and Portsmouth, the military have 
had possession of the ferry and boats between the two cities, 
using them for its own profit and benefit, collecting tolls 
from all civilians, and transporting Government troops and 



30 

property. This ferrj belongs to the two cities ; they have 
not received one dollar from it. The military has got it all. 
The receipts of the ferry before the war, amounted to from 
$15,000 to $18,000 per annum. Since the military has had it 
lam satisfied that if the Government had paid for its use at 
the same rate that any similar service is paid for in the 
North, it would yield at least forty thousand dollars per an- 
num, whicli is twice the sum appropriated for taking care of 
the poor. But this committee for taking care of the poor 
are holding meetings, are abusing the Union men for not 
rallying around them, and trying to get up the idea that 
there are no Union men in Norfolk. The Union men won't 
rally under such leadership. The poor are from the oyster 
men, who are so taxed and iined that they can't make a 
living. The poor in the county are, many of them, made 
so by the destruction and plunder of the helpless, in military 
raids. A highly intelligent gentleman, and now a loyal 
member of the Virginia State Convention, told me that for 
three weeks after General Wild made his celebrated raid in 
Princess Anne, he could stand on the portico of his house 
and trace the track of the raid for ten miles by the turkey 
buzzards, feeding on the carrion made by destruction of ani- 
mal life. Union men and widows shared the same fate; all 
they had was taken or destroyed, and thus man}" of the poor 
are made. I forbear facts and incidents. Many of the poor 
are the wives and children of rebels, either killed or now 
serving in the rebel army. The Union men have urged 
that the rich rebels left behind should take care of them. It 
was urged as a distinct proposition, that the rents of the 
property of rebels who were in rebellion, and at home, 
should go to their support. It was urged that Tazvvell 
Taylor, the commissioner to procure a rebel loan in Norfolk, 
and who was a member of Magruder's stati" while the rebels 
were there, and who took $15,000 of the rebel loan, should 
be taxed or compelled to contribute $15,000 to take care of 
the rebel poor. But strange to say, this same Tazv^'ell re- 
mained a bitter rebel to the last, was General Naglee's 
closest companion, and was called in by General Butler to 
consult about the civil government of Norfolk. 

Tazwoll left the city and removed to Baltimore, without 
ever contributing one cent, as far as General Butler is con- 
cerned, for support of rebel poor; and now the support of 
the poor is made a scapegoat in the estimation of all Gen- 
eral Butler's admirers, and a salvo for seizing and taxing 
everything; and because the Union men who have liberally 



31 

drained their pockets to support the poor, will not come for- 
ward and follow the dictates of Captain Edgar, in whom 
they have no confidence, they are stigmatized as rebels, and 
forsooth, there is no loyalty in the city. 

It is now too late to lay any contribution on rebel property 
holders in the cities to support the poor. General Butler 
has required them all to take the oath of allegiance, with 
promise of protection, and the promise ought to be kept. 
The Union poor can be supported by the Union people, if 
the avenues of industry and enterprise are left open for them 
to work; but if part are taxed to fill the cofters of the pro- 
vost marshal's fimd, and others are prohibited from following 
their avocations because they are in the way of Boston fa- 
vorites, they will all soon be paupers and vagabonds. The 
rebel poor, whose friends and protectors are in the rebel 
army, must be cared for, either by cutting oft' their heads, 
sending them across the lines to their protectors, selling rich 
rebels' property who are in rebellion, and supporting them 
out of the proceeds, or the United States Government must 
support them. These are simple propositions. 

This policy of supporting the poor out of rebel property 
was partially introduced. But when General Butler came 
it was all broken up. The houses were needed for his offi- 
cers and Boston friends, who are occupying them free of 
rent. 

THE WOOD BUSINESS. 

Shipping fire wood is an extensive and profitable business 
in Nortblk and that section. After General Butler went 
there the natives found it diflicult to get permits — Bostoni- 
ans got them. I will give a case. 

CAPTAIIn" CROWEL AKD B. & J. BAKER. 

Had a wrecking vessel which had been sunk. They raised 
it, partly refitted it, and loaded it with wood, with a view 
to send the vessel to New York to complete some part 
of the rigging. They went to General Wild for a permit. 
He is the military governor of the city. Upon their first 
call they were refused a permit. They called a second 
time, in a week after the first. They had one hundred 
and seventy-five cords of wood loaded, and urged their 
case; their boat being a wrecking vessel, they stated that if 
they met a vessel on the way in distress, they would throw 



32 

tneir wood overboard and go to her relief, &c. The}^ made 
a strong case, but the General, however, refused ; said he 
had granted all the permits he thought it prudent to grant, 
but perhaps if they would go to some of the gentlemen who 
had permits, they could get permission to ship on their per- 
mit. They went to a Boston man by the name of Bishop, 
who had a permit to ship four thousand six hundred cords. 
They asked him for a permit, and he consented. One hun- 
dred and seventy five cords at $o 50 per cord at one per 
cent., would be $6 12. They asked Mr. Bishop what they 
must pay. He replied, "You know I have to pay one per 
cent." They handed him $25 00, and asked him if that 
Avould be satisfactory. He replied it would. Crowel is an 
old man, and a true Union man. B. & J. Baker are north- 
ern men, and have been there for many years, engaged as 
wreckers. I don't know their politics, if they have any. 

SALE OF CORN. 

It is difficult to get a permit to send corn out of the de- 
partment. I find no fault with the rule, but some do get 
permits. There were some twelve to fifteen thousand bushels 
of corn to be sold for the benefit of the freedmen, being 
their share of a lot raised last year. The money was going to 
them. A native by the name of Patterson had a contract 
for delivering corn to the Government at $1 25 per bushel, 
at Norfolk. Some man from the North said he had a per- 
mit to ship, so he was ready to buy. Patterson and the 
Northern man (I don't know where he was from) were com- 
petitors at the sale. The corn was run up to $1 12 per 
bushel, and bought by Patterson, much to the chagrin of 
the stranger, who remarked that he " did not know why Pat- 
terson bid so much, he had no permit to ship." I merely 
mention this to teach gentlemen who express so much sj^m- 
pathy for the poor freedman, how they might have given 
him bread and raiment, and done no injustice to any person. 
The Government wanted corn, and General Wild gave Pat- 
terson the contract. Patterson turned the corn over to the 
Government, perhaps without handling, at $1 25 per bushel. 
Why could not the party superintending the sale have had it 
turned over to the Government at $125? The profits of 
Patterson would have gotten many, many comforts for the 
little freedman. But then there would have been no hope 
of speculation to the gentleman with the permit. 



33 



BUCK & CO. 

This c6mpany is composed of Joseph A. Buck, Isaac M. 
Bennison, Peter H. Whitehiirst, and Charles Whitehurst. 
This firm did a large business iii dry goods and groceries, 
old iron, pewter, lead, brass, copper, old rope, sails, and 
grain. They were engaged in it before the rebellion. 
The vessel E. C. Knight, loaded with lumber, stranded on 
the beach of Princess Anne county, about the first of Janu- 
ary last. The underwriters sold the cargo to the highest 
bidder. Quartermaster Godwin became the purchaser, and 
employed a Captain Caftee, a resident near the lumber, to 
haul it over the beach to a landing on Curituck Sound, 
where it could be loaded and brought to Norfolk. Great 
expedition was required, lest by rise of wind and tide the 
lumber should be lost. Cafl:ee employed above one hundred 
hands, and got over one hundred and fifty-nine thousand 
feet of lumber, for which he was to get twelve dollars per 
thousand feet. He knew it would be some time before he 
could get his money, and they desire'd to have salt to salt 
their pork and other groceries. He called on Buck & Co., 
who had engaged to take two vessels and bring down the 
lumber, to furnish these articles to pay the hands for their 
labor, and wait with him until he got his money from the 
Government. Thereby he would be accommodated and 
they would make a profit. So Buck & Co. called on Quar- 
termaster Godwin for permission, and he referred them to 
the provost marshal. The application was in these words : 

" Gen. Wild : Sir — We respectfully ask permission to 
ship to Knott's Island, per schooner Georgia, to be sold to 
men that have been working to save Government property 
on the sea beach, the following articles : one hundred sacks 
salt, ten barrels flour, five barrels syrup, two barrels sugar, 
one box tobacco, and two bags of coffee." 

They were going to take two schooners and another cargo 
of same quantity on a similar permit. 

They went to Provost Marshal Whelden, presented their 
permit to his clerk, Tilden, who was sitting by the side of 
the provost marshal, showed him that they had taken the 
oath, and had paid their license. He endorsed it and handed 
it to the provost marshal, who signed it. Buck then asked 
him to whom they should take it next. The clerk replied^ 



34 

" That is all right ; every officer in the department would 
respect that." Buck, to be sure, repeated in substance the 
same remark, and received the same answer. They started 
on their journey and were arrested some fifteen or twenty 
miles from the city, and brought back by order of the pro- 
vost marshal, who ordered them before the provost judge, 
to try them and confiscate their property for attempting to 
run the blockade. They waited ten days before a trial 
could be obtained, their vessels lying there. They got their 
trial, the facts turned out as above stated, and they were 
released, and went immediately to the vessels. Before they 
got to the store they were arrested again for having old brass 
and copper on hand belonging to the Government. They 
immediately appeared before the provost judge. He was 
on another case and they could get no trial for some seven 
days. They were finally tried and acquitted. 

They were thus detained about seventeen days with their 
vessels, at a cost of about twenty dollars per day, and had to 
give up their adventure. Since that time they have made 
five dilFereut applications for shipping the produce on hand, 
consisting of rags, cotton, old iron, copper, brass, lead, 
pewter, bees-wax, old grease, bristles, old rope, sails, and 
wood, of which they have about ten thousand dollars worth 
on hand, all of which have been refused. Finally, Buck 
wrote a statement to General Butler of himself and his con- 
nection with Whitehurst, alleging his loyalty, the purity of 
his intentions, that General Wild had stated there was a 
cloud hanging over his character, and ofl:ering to prove as 
loyal and upright a character as any man in the department, 
civil or military, and asking that he might be placed on an 
equal footing with other men. General Butler referred the 
letter to General Wild, and General Wild made on the letter 
the following endorsements : 



" Headquarters, Department of Va. and IST. C, 

" February 24, 1864. 

" Eespectfully referred to General Wild, to know what is 
the objection to Mr. Buck. 

"By command of Major General Butler. 

"H. C. CLAEK, 

''Captain and A. D. C." 



35 

" Headquarters, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., 

Norfolk, Va., February 28, 1864. 

Respectfully return, with a reference to page 2d, part II. 
These goods were ostensibly sent for the use only^of agang 
of workmen and their families engaged on the ocean shore 
where there ought to be salt enough for their limited pur- 
poses. In effect, they were to go beyond our lines to a 
neighborhood noted for disloyalty of the worst fame, " guer- 
rillas," between which point and Richmond there would be 
no obstacle to the transportation of every pound, and these 
invoices would pay richly for the trouble. Also, with a 
reference to page 3d, line 3d. Buck knew well enough the 
character of Caffee, a guerrilla himself, and brother, and 
brother-in-law, uncle, and cousin to several other guerrillas. 
Buck could very easy surmise what sort of a gang of work- 
men Caffee would get together. Yet he was ready to place 
in his hands such invoices of goods as these. Also, with 
reference to page 2d, line 99, &c., &c. Buck has done busi- 
ness enough here to know that he could not travel all over 
the department on the word of a provost marshal's clerk, 
nor on a mere certificate that he had taken the oath ; 
that the permission from the commanding officer, which he 
had to obtain for every one of his imports and exports, was 
vastly more necessary for trading over the lines. Also, 
with reference to page 2d, line 3d, Judge Stackpole — ver- 
dict, released vessels and goods from confiscation, but did 
not let them resume the voyage. Buck then, for the first 
time, came m to ask me for that permit. It was disapproved 
at once. Also, with a reference to page 3d, line 3d. This 
relates to large quantities of old junk that Buck tried to 
export, containing brass, copper, &c., stolen from Navy Yards, 
&c. Also with reference to page 1st, line 24th ; Buck here 
admits a fact which Whitehurst denied and confessed again 
half a dozen times in so many minutes, when questioned 
by me. Buck had a large quantity of old junk, rags, cot- 
ton, and stoves to export. Finding all his permits re- 
tained until the question of theft was settled he brought 
Whitehurst to his aid, who in three difi'erent applications 
tried to ship Buck's goods. These were identified by the 
harbor police in spite of Whitehurst's repeated assertions 
and angry protestations. Shifting of imports and permits 
from one party to another is inadmissible in these trouble- 
some times, and should subject both parties to a stoppage of 
all further privileges. This Buck case grew worse with 



S6 

Whitehurst's help. I made up my mind that Buck's acquisi- 
tiveness was much larger than his loyalty and rectitude. 
Moreover, I learned his partner in Baltimore, Denison, has 
been from the first a known secessionist, active in word if 
not in deed. This I gathered from Whitehurst himself. I 
therefore enclosed all the papers in the case, February 12th, 
and forwarded them to Major R. L. Davis, Acting Adjutant 
General. They were returned with his letter of transmittal." 

" Provost Marshal's Office Headquarters, 
Fort Monroe, Vcl, February 16, 1864. 
Brig. Gen. Wild, Norfolk, Va. : 

I am directed by the Major General commanding to re- 
turn to you the enclosed application af Buck & Co., and to 
Btate that the disposition of them is left to your discretion. 
Your decision in the matter will be final. 
I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

JOHN CASSELLS, 
Captain and A. D. C. 



^1 >> 



" I at once decided to disapprove all of Buck's permits for 
the future, that he is too slippery for this department. That 
he be at liberty to sell out at his leisure, and should have 
permission to return to Baltimore and indulge his trading 
propensities in a safe field. I shall follow the same course 
with Peter Whitehurst. 

Respectfully submitted, 

EDWARD A. WILD, 

Brig. Gen. Commanding.'^ 
" General Wild's action approved. 

(Signed,) BENJ. F. BUTLER." 

This is a paper of grave import, and contains grave 
charges. 

After all these endorsements were made, the paper was 
sent to Buck by General Butler. There is evidently a bad 
feeling in General Wild's mind towards Buck and White- 
hurst. They know of no reason for it, except it grew out of 
a transaction connected with General Wild's celebrated raid 
into North Carolina and Princess Ann county. It was this : 
While near where Captain Caffee lives. General Wild came 
to the house owned by a man by the name of White, who 
was a captain in the confederate service. General Wild ar- 
rested Mrs. White, the wife, as a hostage for something, I 
don't know what. She was in a delicate situation. Her 



37 

daughter, a young girl of about nineteen years of age, 
stepped forward and said, " General, you cannot take my 
mother, take me." He took the daughter and set fire to the 
house, and burnt everything in it, with all the nick nacksof 
an expectant mother. In two days afterward Mrs. White 
was confined, the daughter was taken a prisoner. They 
had not proceeded far until they came to Colonel Mix, of 
New York, with his regiment. The Colonel and his men, 
seeing the young girl in possession of the colored troops, in- 
terfered, and declared they were sent to protect persons and 
property, and were going to rescue the girl. The men and 
officers in both commands became highly excited, and were 
about coming into conflict, when the girl stepped forward 
and said: " Men, don't shed blood on my account; they 
have not mistreated me ; my honor is untarnished ; I am 
here in place of my mother." The angry blood cooled, the 
girl was carried to Norfolk, and kept there in the second 
story of General Wild's headquarters some three weeks, her 
mother, in the meantime, lying at the point of death; and 
by the efibrts of Captain Caftee, aided by Buck and White- 
hurst, the girl was released, I think through General Butler. 
This interference may have been their sin, which cast them 
from favor. Captain Caflfee is an old sea captain, resides in 
Princess Ann county, is a man of substance and energy, and 
has relations by blood and marriage in the confederate army, 
but who has not? I cannot learn that Caffee is a guerrilla, 
or ever has been one. He is back and forward frequently, 
I understand, at Norfolk, and if Cafitee is a guerrilla, as de- 
clared by General Wild, he, having the command, certainly 
ought to arrest him and try him as such. 

General Wild declares in this endorsement that these goods 
(in the schooner) "in eflfect were to go beyond our lines." 
How does he know this ? He broadly asserts it ; yet he 
kept them for ten days before he tried the parties, and they 
were acquitted in his own court, by his own judge, on the 
testimony of the clerk in the provost marshal's oflice. Cafl:ee 
and his men were good enough to trust by the quartermas- 
ter to bring a large amount of lumber across the bar, when 
great dispatch was required to prevent loss. If sufliciently 
faithful to work for the Government where, if they did not 
work, it would incur great loss, why object to their having a 
little salt, sugar, and coffee ? 

These same men, headed by Caftee, have saved for the 
Government, since that time, above half a million dollars' 
worth of property from vessels wrecked on the same coast 



38 

where these goods were destined. And yet this Caffee and 
his men are denounced as guerrillas. 

General Wild charges that " in page third, line third, this 
relates to large quantities of junk that Buck had to export, 
containing brass, copper, &c., stolen from Navy, &c." lie 
says he retained all these things until the question of 
theft was settled. Is not that question settled ? Were not 
they summoned before Judge Stackpole, and kept there 
seven days, and General Wild notified of the fact that they 
were not guilty, but proved themselves innocent? But 
Peter Whitehurst denied and confessed a half dozen times 
the same thing in that many minutes. He learned that 
Buck's acquisitiveness was larger than his loyalty, and his 
partner in Baltimore was a rebel ; and finally, in his last 
endorsement, he gives him the privilege to sell out at his 
leisure and return to Baltimore, and made same order as to 
Peter Wliitehurst. 

Kow, gentlemen, without repetition, I refer you to the 
record. General Wild says shifting permits is inadmissible. 
Yet he advises it in the case of the wood permit, where a 
Boston friend profited four hundred per cent, by it. Com- 
ment is unnecessary. 

Peter H. Whitehurst is a native of Virginia, a man 
of high character, and as loyal a man as lives. The 
firm to which he belongs has paid more than three 
thousand dollars for the "support of the poor and the 
Union cause, since our troops occupied K'orfolk. Charles 
Whitehurst is a member of the loyal Virginia Senate, 
a Christian gentleman, and as pure a man, I think, as 
I ever met. Buck stands as high, I am informed, as an 
honorable merchant, as any in Baltimore ; his loyalty un- 
doubted. Denison, Buck's partner in Baltimore, was a 
secessionist in April, 1861. In June he joined one of the 
Union aid associations in Baltimore. In July, 1863, when 
Lee invaded Maryland, six months' volunteers were called 
for. Young Creamer was a clerk in some institution in 
which Denison was a director. After Creamer left, Den- 
ison moved that his company vote him fifty dollars bounty, 
and keep his place open for him until he returned. 

This is the class of men stricken down and all the 
avenues of trade shut up to them, charged with theft, 
after the General knew they had been acquitted, notified 
to sell their goods to some other person who would 
make the speculation by transportation, I suppose. Is this 
right ; is it just, that these men, two of them living 



39 

in 'N'orfolk, with large families to support, and who have 
lost largely by the rebellion, should thus be blasted by the 
caprice of a commanding general ? Peter Whitehurst had 
a slave named Charles, worth fifteen hundred dollars before 
the war. Charles remained with him until the order came 
to enlist colored men. Whitehurst went to Charles, al- 
though Charles was not free, and told him, " Charles, you 
now have a chance to fight for the freedom of your race. 
Go and join a colored regiment and show yourself a man." 
Charles 'said : " Master, I want to stay with you." " No,'' 
said Peter, "your country needs you more than I do, go." 
He went, and is now a soldier, and Peter has never made 
any demand for service or bounty. This is a Virginia 
Union man. 

YELLOW PINE AND SHIP KNEES, 

It is reported that one party from Boston has a permit 
from General Bntler to cut all the yellow pine and ship knees 
in his district. This is a large operation and may amount 
to millions. They have commenced cutting all the timber 
from some farms below Norfolk on the Bay, sawing it into 
lumber and wood. These farms belong to resident secession- 
ists who reside on their land, who have not taken up arms, 
nor are their lands liable to confiscation ; and they have 
taken the oath under General Butler's order with the promise 
of protection. The timber is all cut down, land marks des- 
troyed, and the farms rendered valueless, to a great extent, 
for want of timber. I have no objection, where the Gov- 
ernment needs lumber, and timber is on land liable to 
confiscation, to its being cut and used. Nor would it have 
been very objectionable that wdien a man owns timber, and 
is a rebel, and has not taken the oath, to take his timber for 
Government purposes. But when a man has taken the oath 
with a promise of protection, the Government is bound to 
protect him. 

THE NEW REGIME. 

This is the title of a new daily newspaper, published in 
Norfolk under the auspices of General Butler. New Regime 
means new government, or order of things. Newspaper 
enterprises generally depend on private capital and enter- 
prise. Bnt the Neio Regime had two printing establishments, 
engines, presses, and type seized, belonging to men who 



40 

had taken the oath. A restaurant keeper was turned out of 
the house he occupied because it was needed for military 
purposes — the quartermaster was required to detail hands 
from Government shops to repair engines and do carpenters' 
work to the amount of seven hundred and seventeen dollars 
and forty-five cents, which was charged to the United States 
Government, and Mr. Chase will have the money to provide 
to pay, to repair the engines and do carpenter work, to get 
ready for editing the New Megime. Then Captain Clark, 
one of General Butler's staif, was detailed with a civilian 
from Boston to edit the paper. Sixty printers — soldiers 
from the army — were detailed and sent to the office, thirty 
of them were chosen and now are acting as type setters, 
printers, and engaged in various ways in getting out the 
paper, and receiving their pay and rations from the United 
States Goverment; one of the editors paid as an officer. 
Suppose these printers to be all veterans, and if they are not 
veterans will have to take their place in the field. The Gov- 
ernment, State and Federal, are paying now, seven hundred 
dollars bounty, besides clothing. 

The Neio Regime stands as to cost to the country per an- 
num, about thus : 

For bounty to 30 soldiers, at $T00 -—_ |21,000 00 

Pay, clothing, and subsistence of 30 soldiers, 

at $30 9,000 00 

Cost of repairs to engines and carpenter work-- T17 46 
Pay of Captain Clarke, about 1,800 00 

32,517 45 

Captain Clark is on detached duty, and is entitled to 
commutation for rent, fuel, light, and rooms. 

The editor's business notice is as follows : " The job print- 
ing department of this office is the most complete in Virginia, 
and as all our presses are run by steam power, we can afl:brd 
to execute all kinds of work at the lowest possible price. 
Send orders to No. 33, Market street, corner of Commerce." 
Kept up as the New Regime is by the Federal Government, 
at the tune of $32,000 per annum, wearing out the engines, 
press, and type of men who had taken the oath under 
promise of protoction, it would be supposed that they could 
do work cheaply. "But there is no need of these soldiers 
now." For that I cannot say. On the night of the 21st of 
March, the rebels came within eight miles of Norfolk and 
destroyed a considerable amount of Government property, 



41 

and on the night of the 23d, they were within four miles of 
Norfolk. Rebels are running the lines almost daily. The 
printer soldier cannot attend to keeping guard or protecting 
property, were they to do so, this Boston gentleman could 
not do his work so cheaply. 

The object of this newspaper is to create a sink to absorb 
as much as possible of the jnwost marshal's fund by way of 
advertisements. Nearly three fourths of it is tilled with 
military orders as advertisements. Also, to prove that the 
civil government of Virginia should be abolished in General 
Butler's department and military rule substituted. I called 
the attention of the Secretary of War to some of the usur- 
pations at Norfolk. Among other things, to the one per 
cent, on merchandise that was shipped into the department. 
The Neiu Regime takes up the gauntlet, and in his issue of 
the 7th of March, he devotes nearly three columns to prove 
that the civil government ought to be abolished and military 
substituted in General Butler's department. Defending the 
one per cent, charge, he denounces the opposition to it as 
the " howl from a semi-loyal government'" It is exceedingly 
oiFensive to those who have imperiled all, and are still doing 
all in their power to advance the great cause of the country, 
to be denounced by a mere parasite as semi-loyal. No 
man's name appears as editor of the paper. 

There are two daily newspapers in Norfolk and Ports- 
mouth with a capacity to do all the printing required by the 
department. 



THE MARKETS. 



They have undertaken to regulate the price of articles 
sold in market. I here give the military order containing 
the bill of prices : 

" Headquarters Norfolk and Portsmouth, 

Norfolk, Va., February 11, 1864. 
Special Order, No. 30. 

The following are established as the maximum prices at which the articles 
enumerated below may be sold in the markets, shops, stalls, or other places at 
Norfolk or Portsmouth. 

Any person who shall be convicted of selling at higher rates will be pun- 
ished according to the discretion of the provost marshal, and his produce 
shall be forfeited. 

The only currency will be that permitted by the Government of the United 
States. • 



42 

First quality bacon, per lb $0 16 

Second quality bacon 12j 

Hams per lb 17 

Shoulders, per lb 12J 

Fresh beef, per lb 

Fresh sirloin steak, per lb 15 

Fresh round steak, per lb 1£ 

Fresh roasting pieces, per lb 15 

Fresh coarse pieces, per lb 8 

Lard, per lb 18 

Butter, per lb 35 to 45 

Eggs, per dozen •■ . 30 

For all kinds of poultry dressed 13 

Meal, per lb 2i 

Sweet potatoes, per peck 30 

Beans, per quart 15 

Spots, live, per dozen 30 

Spots, salt, per dozen 15 

Turkeys and geese, apiece, alive 1 00 

Oysters, per quart 15 

Oysters, shell, per bushel 50 

Lynn Haven, per bushel 75 

Cabbage, large, per head 15 

Cabbage, small, per head 3 to 8 

Roast pigs SOcts. to 1 00 

First quality mutton, per lb ■ 15 

Second quality mutton per lb 12^ 

Bread, four ounces per loaf 5 

Croakers and drum head fish, per lb 5 

Blue and drum fish, per lb 10 

Sheepshead fish, per lb 10 

Spanish mackerel, per lb 10 

Wood, pine, per cord 3 50 

Wood, hard, per cord 4 50 

Coal, per ton 11 00 

Apples, per barrel 5 00 

All groceries not mentioned above, ten per cent, above Baltimore prices. 
The above prices will be altered from time to time as the change of season 
and state of market may require. 

By command of Brig. Gen. E. A. Wild : 

GEORGE H. JOHNSON, 

Capt and Asst. Adj. Gen. 

All conversant with the prices paid in the Eastern mar- 
kets for similar articles will at once observe that the prices 
here established is far below the price of any other market. 
Groceries ten per cent, on Baltimore prices — they paid, 
when this bill was established, five per cent, to United States 
Government, one per cent, to General Butler, and at least 
two and one half per cent, freight, cooperage, &c., making, 
eight and one half per cent. — one and one half per cent, is 
left for profit. 



43 

I herewith give a letter from a Princess Anne county far- 
mer as the best commentary on the market prices: 

"Princess Anne County, Virginia, 

3Iarch 22, 1864. 

Sir: We think the farmers in the vicinity of Norfolk are 
very unjustly imposed upon by having the prices fixed upon 
our market produce by the military authorities. 

In the first place, we have to pay higher for our seeds and 
fertilizers than ever before, say thirty-three percent., and in 
addition to that we have to pay five per cent, in Baltimore 
and one per cent, at Old Point on all the seeds and imple- 
ments we bring from Baltimore. Labor is higher, and we 
have suffered from depredations committed by a class of 
roving whites and blacks, who have stolen our fowl, pota- 
toes, and even some of the horses. Now, to be compelled to 
take such prices as some military men may dictate, and 
those prices not more than one half of what is paid in Balti- 
more, it cannot be claimed as a military necessity. We have 
to pay the grocers and dry goods men such prices as they 
may see fit to ask us. Now, why select the farmers and 
compel them to sell at fixed prices ? If the pay of the mili- 
tary who have brought their families here will not support 
them, let them ask the Government for increase of pay, and 
not rob the poor farmer. 

An ever loyal farmer, 

JNO. NEWTON. . 
To Gov. PiERPoiNT, Alexandria, Ya." 

I do not know Mr. Newton, but this is only one of 
numerous letters I have received on this and similar sub- 
jects. 

This all proves one of tvvo things, either the incapacity of 
the officers who undertake to regulate this subject, or a de- 
termination to have the articles produced in market for less 
than their value. It is immaterial to me to w^iich cause it 
is attributable. 



CASE OF CHAS. W. BUTTS. 

Mr. Butts is a lawyer in the city of Norfolk. Gen. Wild 
made an order confiscating the estate of a man in Ports- 
mouth by the name of Williams. Williams was a rebel, but 
took the oath under the promise of protection. He heard 



44 

before he took the oath that the military, with some Boston 
friends, coveted his dwelling house and handsome furni- 
ture. Shortly after taking the oath, an order was made 
confiscating his property. Williams then (being in delicate 
health) sent his certificate of having taken the oath pre- 
scribed by Gen. Butler, claiming his protection, to General 
"Wild, who kept the certificate and endorsed on the back of 
it " oath revoked," and ordered the officers in whose pos- 
session the books kept for the purpose of recording names, 
dates, and residence of persons taking the oath, and in which 
Williams's name was recorded, to erase from them all evi- 
dence of Williams's having taken the oath, which was done. 
Williams, with his wife and children, were turned out of 
their own house into the streets of Portsmouth, on the 22d 
of March last, during the prevalence of one of the most ter- 
rible snow storms I ever witnessed. 

Butts, not in a professional capacity, but as an act of mere 
justice, wrote the following letter to Attorney General 
Bates at Washington, accompanied by a copy of Gen. Wild's 
order of confiscation : 

" Norfolk, Virginia. 
" Hon. Edward Bates, 

Attorney General, Washington, D. C: 

Sir : I have felt it my duty on several occasions to com- 
municate certain facts to you, but have desisted from writ- 
ing, knowing that your present duties are so onerous that 
you have but little time to look after such matters. But 
when a brigadier general of the army takes the civil law in 
his own hands, and orders real estate to be confiscated 
without legal cause, totally disregarding the laws of the 
country as this man Wild has, I feel constrained to write. 
General Wild, as you are aware, is the military commander 
of the respective cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, who, in 
my opinion, (and I have had considerable military experience,) 
is not a fit and proper person to be provost marshal over 
white people. What I wish to complain of is the following 
order: 

[Copy.] Provost Marshal's Office, 

Portsmouth, Virginia, March 9, 1864. 
" Mr. John Williams, 

Portsmouth, Virginia : 
"By order of Brigadier General Wild, your entire estate 
is confiscated to the use of the United States Government. 



45 

You will furnish the bearer, Corporal Prime, of this office, 
a list of houses and tenements now in your possession, and 
vacate the premises you now occupy on or before the 19th 
of March. 

DA^. MESSINGER, 

Provost Marshal. 

Mr. Williams resides in Portsmouth with his family, and 
has taken the oath of allegiance under the President's proc- 
lamation. If consistent with your views, or duties, you 
will greatly oblige by giving this letter your attention as 
soon as possible. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

G. W. BUTTS." 

Judge Bates endorsed the letter and sent it to the Secre- 
tary of War. He endorsed it and sent it to General Butler. 
General Butler endorsed it and sent it to General Wild. 
Wild sent for Butts, asked him if he wrote the letter. Butts 
said he did; handed Butts a copy to read; and after read- 
ing asked liim if it was a correct copy. Butts told him it 
was. Then Butts was shortly afterwards handed an order 
banishing him from the department. He went to General 
Butler and complained ; asked Butler to rescind it. Among 
other things Butler told him he was in trouble with him, 
(General Butler,) and took from a pigeon hole a letter which 
Butts had written to the President, informing him of the 
dollar charge on persons going in and out of General Butler's 
department, which the President had referred to General 
Butler, and told Butts he was a dangerous man ; he would 
not interfere with General Wild's order. So Butts had to 
leave, and at this writing is an exile from the home of his 
adoption and professional business, sitting in my office. 

Who is Butts? He is a native of New Jersey, a republi- 
can in politics ; the first political speech he ever made was 
advocating Mr. Lincoln's election. He was the second man 
volunteered in his county in the three months' service; was 
among the first who crossed from Washington to Alexandria 
when the lamented Ellsworth fell in this city. He served 
as a private; was in the IsTew Jersey reserve corps com- 
manded by General Runyon at the time of the battle of Bull 
Run. When his term was out he returned home. He raised 
thirty men at once and joined Colonel Harlan's independent 
regiment, now the 11th Pennsylvania cavalry, and was com- 
missioned 1st lieutenant, and served with distinction on the 



46 

Peninsula between James and York Rivers. Butts has 
many certificates of which any young man ought to be 
proud, for acts of daring and gallantry on the field. I will 
quote the endorsement of Colonel Spear, the gallant com- 
mander of his regiment, on his request to resign. 

" Headquarters 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry, 
(Kear Portsmouth, Virginia,) October 4, 1863. 
"Approved and recommended. I am fully aware of the 
reasons which compel this applicant to oflter his resignation. 
I have known him to take the field when he was more fitted 
to be in bed, and was prompted to do so by pure energetic 
motives. He has on many occasions distinguished himself 
in action; brave, cool and determined as an oflicer, urbane, 
polite and gentlemanly as a citizen. I shall deeply deplore 
his loss to my regiment. 

(Signed,) SAMUEL P. SPEAR, 

Colonel llth Pennsylvania Cavalry." 

Major General Peck and Brigadier General R. S. Fofcter, 
both gave him high testimonials for acts of bravery and 
personal daring in the execution of orders under their im- 
mediate commands. Butts resigned on account of ill health ; 
had contracted ague and fever in the low lands of Virginia. 
He commenced the practice of law in Norfolk. With his 
young and chivalrous spirit he saw what he knew was wrong. 
He represented it as a citizen to his Government. For that 
he was exiled. 

GENERAL BUTLER'S MILITARY ADMINISTRATION 
IN THE FIELD. 

Since General Butler has been so vigilant in trying 
to impress the public mind, that the civil government 
was inefficient at Norfolk, it may not be amiss to advert 
to his administration of military afl'airs in the field in 
that vicinity. The first movement was to send about 
one hundred men to Smithfield, on James River, in the 
face of the enemy, with no mode of retreat, and only to be 
supported by gunboats going up a creek that is little more 
than a quagmire at low tide. The result was the loss of 
the whole "command, and the destruction of a gunboat 
which got aground. 

The next was General Wild,s notable raid into North Car- 
olina and Princess Anne county. I never want to see the 



47 

history of that raid until the war is over. The taking of 
Miss White a prisoner is only one of the occurrences. 

The next was the projected raid on Richmond, for the lib- 
eration of the Union prisoners. The failure was much re- 
gretted. It was attributed to the desertion of a Union sol- 
dier, who carried the news to Richmond, and gave them 
time to rally and defeat the project. And the public have 
been amused and satisfied with this story, and General But- 
ler lauded to the heavens for the conception of the noble 
idea. He insulted the Navy by attributing to the officers 
unfaithfulness, and imprisoned a lady thirteen days, keeping 
her on bread and water, to force her to tell what naval officer 
had told her of the contemplated expedition to Richmond, 
when she knew nothing about it. Of all of this the public 
was duly notified through the press. But is it not strange 
how the soldier who deserted knew anything about the ob- 
jects of the army, so as to give the information so long be- 
forehand ? It is said of General Harrison, when he com- 
manded at Fort Meigs, in the winter of 1812, that there was 
a report of the approaching enemy, and some young man 
asked him wluit he was going to do, in case the enemy were 
at a certain point. The General replied that if he thought 
his shirt knew his thoughts, he would burn it. I heard this 
when I was very young, and it impressed me. I was im- 
pressed when I heard the story of the deserter. I asked the 
first four or five men I met from Norfolk if it was known 
there publicly before the expedition started that it was going. 
Every one of them replied that they knew it for from six to 
ten days before it started. The troops that were going, the 
object, route, and all about it. It was told by his own offi- 
cers. General Butler knew to whom he had confided his 
plans. Why did he not strike there for the person who re- 
vealed the secret? I think it very likely that the news of 
the raid was communicated from Norfolk to Richmond, and 
it was suggested in the letter, " publish that you got this 
news from a Union soldier who deserted." But it was 
known at Williamsburg, and talked of among the soldiers 
for at least six days before the expedition started. Yet cen- 
sure is heaped on everybody, to keep observation from Gen- 
eral Batler and his confidential advisers. 

The last military exploit I heard of, was a raid into North 
Carolina and the capture of two lighter loads of corn and 
meal, with some contrabands, and the selling of the corn at 
public auction, and the proceeds of sale went into the ipro- 
vosi marshal's fund. 



48 

With all the ridicule of General Butler, aud the sneers of 
his New Regime, at the civil government of JSTorfolk and 
Portsmouth, it will stand out in bold relief as effective, when 
compared with General Butler's military operations in the 
field in that section. 

The last I heard from the provost court, they were very 
desirous of trying a case of habeas corpus to determine the 
custody of two children, between a husband and wife who 
had separated. 

WHAT BECOMES OF THE PROVOST MARSHAL'S 

FUND. 

I rtight answer this question by repeating the question, 
what does become of it? Perhaps this is about as satisfac- 
tory an answer as the country will ever get. 

It does not go into the Treasury of the United States, nor 
do I suppose it relieves it of any of its burdens. It is esti- 
mated by those who have prettj good opportunity of know- 
ing, that there has been collected since General Butler went 
to Old Point last fall, from two to three hundred thousand 
dollars into this fund. There has been a system of excess- 
ive fines introduced for one supposed offense and another, 
varying from fifty to five thousand dollars. In addition to 
this mode, property, captured and confiscated, all goes into 
the iwovost marshaVs fund, with tax on goods shipped into 
and out of the district, tax on oysters aud dogs, clearances 
of vessels, &c., &c. 

Some repairs are being made on the streets. This is done 
by convicts, soldiers and citizens in penitentiary uniform, 
with Government teams to do the hauling, superintended by 
a contractor. He may be paid for all that is done. Adver- 
tisements in the New Begime, and it is said there are about 
forty detectives there, all under pay, perhaps, to keep down 
the fund. But as to its disposition, all is conjecture. One 
thing is certain, there is great interest taken in enlarging the 
fund. One man got a permit to bring in three thousand 
dollars' worth of goods, and paid thirty dollars. His wife 
was taken ill, and remained sick for some time. He could 
not leave home, aud when she got well he had to decline his 
enterprise. He called to get his money hack, but was re- 
fused. Buck & Whitehurst got a permit last fall to briug in 
thirty thousand dollars' worth of some kind of goods, but 
the permit was delayed so long that the season passed for 
the sale of the article ; they only brought in ten thousand 



49 

dollars' worth. They called for their two hundred dollars 
paid on the permit they did not use, and were also prohib- 
ited from shipping anything more ; but they could not get 
back their two hundred dollars. The Government would 
refund under such circumstances. 

In this succinct statement I have only given a few cases. 
I don't know that they are the worst cases. An elaborate 
history might be written of the acts there, all interesting in 
detail, and tending to illustrate more fully the existence of 
systematic abuse of military power. I am informed that 
the same system prevails perhaps to a greater extent in 
North Carolina than in Virginia, because there is less re- 
straint there. Civil government seems to check it a little — 
hence the anxiety to break it up, in order that they may 
have a clear field. 

It is strange to me that such a system should have grown up 
whereby military commanders collect tens and hundreds of 
thousands of dollars into this post or provost marshal's fund 
which is held by men who give no bonds. ISTone of it goes 
into the United States Treasury, but little of it to relieve 
the Treasury of its burdens, and mach of it expended for 
objects in no way connected with the suppression of the 
rebellion. This, to my mind, is a subject which needs 
attention. 

THE EFFECT OF ALL THIS ON THE PUBLIC MIND. 

On going to Norfolk about the 20th of March last, I was 
humiliated. At Old Point and Norfolk, I met men, who, 
six months ago, stood erect and talked like freemen, who 
were proud of their country, and that they were American 
citizens. But now the hand of oppression is upon them, 
they look dejected and disheartened. When they spoke to 
me of their troubles, it was far from the presence of any one, 
and then in an undertone. "When they came into my room 
to talk with me, they would look around the room to assure 
themselves that there was no spy concealed, and see that 
the doors were closely shut. The Union papers have been 
regretting that the Union cause for some time past has been 
on the decline in North Carolina. It is true. The wail of 
the oppressed there under General Butler's rule has gone 
out through the old North State and hushed the clamor of 
her liberty-loving people for the blessings of freedom they 
expected to enjoy under the old stars and stripes. And 
these oppressions now form the principal staple for the rebel 
4 



50 

Governor Vance in his canvass for re-election, to persuade 
the people to be reconciled to Jeff. Davis's despotism. 

In October last I felt hopeful and bouyant at the prospect 
of returning loyalty, and the disposition of the people to 
sustain the restored government. General Foster was in 
command of the department. I found him a gentleman 
and a soldier, earnest in his profession and desire to do right. 
General Barnes was placed in command of the two cities. 
He was from Massachusetts, an educated, earnest soldier, 
and all you would expect in a Massachusetts gentleman. 
Massachusetts, God bless her ! I love her people. In Vir- 
ginia's darkest day, in 1861, while the committee of safety 
was guiding, to a certain extent, the destiny of the loyal 
people of the State, the lightning of heaven brought us 
the happy dispatch from Governor Andrews that Massachu- 
setts would let the loyal men of Virginia have two thousand 
muskets to be used in the defense of liberty in the State. 
A messenger was immediately dispatched for the arms. 
They came, and immediately on the reorganization of the 
State, I placed them in the hands of the men, where they 
did good service. The sending of the arms gave great 
moral strength to the Union cause and to Union hearts, and 
I say again, I love Massachusetts. It it is an old adage, 
" that there are few mothers with many children but there 
are not some black sheep among them." Massachusetts 
has hers, and it is them I am after. But I was speaking of 
General Barnes. He took great interest in the civil affairs 
of this section. General Lockwood was doing the same in 
Accomac and JSTorthampton. The civil oflicers began to 
feel assured that they were going to be sustained, were 
taking courage, and civil affairs began to move off" smoothly. 
But General Lockwood and General Barnes did not suit Gen- 
eral Butler, and they were removed from his department. 
Before General Butler went there, the Union men were 
bouyant with the hope of seeing their section settled and 
repopulated by people from the ISTorth. They welcomed 
Northern men among them. But now dejection, despon- 
dency and bitterness is seen where hope then existed, and deep 
sectional hostility is beginning to manifest itself. Oh ! it is a 
bitter, hitter contemplation, to see so glorious a cause as the 
Union cause thus stricken and wounded in the house of 
its friends. My heart is sick, sick at the contemplation. But 
there is consolation in knowing that the abuses only exist 
in this city and the district of Virginia and North Carolina, 
and that you, gentlemen, form a tribunal to whom we can 



51 

appeal, which is too high and too pure to refuse adequate 
relief. 

THE REMEDY. 

I am asked is it too late to remedy the evil and restore 
the cause ? I answer, no. The remedy is indicated by the 
inspired prophet in his declaration that " righteousness ex- 
alteth the nation, and sin is a reproach to any people." 
Then the remedy is in doing right. This is the easiest mat- 
ter in the world. Sin is a reproach, that is, doing wrong, 
and it always brings trouble. Rebels will never be fully 
punished in this world. Many universities have abandoned 
their favorite dogma of a universal heaven since this war 
commenced. They see plainl}^ that there can be no ade- 
quate punishment on earth for those who have brought the 
calamities of this terrible war on the country. If fifty men 
in Virginia had done six years ago what tift}'' thousand have 
done in the last three years, they all would have been hung. 
But the Government thinks it not wise to undertake to kill 
everybody who has turned traitor. I think that is right. 
When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with the two hundred 
and fifty princes rebelled against Moses, the earth opened 
and they were swallowed up ; a consuming flame came out 
and killed the two hundred and fifty princes, and the people 
who were led away by them fled to the side of Moses and 
were not hurt. Perhaps we have an example in this, that it 
is right to extend amnesty to all but the leaders in rebellion. 
It is certainly the prerogative of the Government to fix the 
terms of amnesty to rebels. If the Government had de- 
clared they should all be killed, and had killed as fast 
as we got to them, it would be difficult to prove that it was 
not a just act. Perhaps the liberation of their slaves, which 
was the root of the rebellion, with confiscation, will be pun- 
ishment enough. But the President, for wise purposes, de- 
termined that all who would return to allegiance, from the 
grade of colonel and under, and take the oath he prescribed, 
should be pardoned and restored to all their rights of irrop- 
erty, unless it had been sold under the laws punishing 
traitors. But if confiscations had commenced and not pros- 
ecuted to sale, the proceedings are to be dismissed upon the 
rebels taking the oath. The fullest and amplest protection 
is oftered. General Butler has ordered all in his military 
district to take the oatii with the solemn pledge of protec- 
tion ; the nation is bound to guarantee it. It is right to 



52 

guarantee it after it is made. The Government, through 
the President, has prescribed the terms by which the 
rebel is to be protected. He conforms to the requisi- 
tion, the terms must be kept on our part. A great Gov- 
ernment like the United States cannot aflbrd to do wrong. 
]N"ow, it is right to redress all the wrongs General Butler 
has committed in his district as far as possible. It is 
right to return the gas works to the proper owners, with 
a fair charge for the repairs, and an account for the profits 
and especially return the thirteen hundred dolhirs which 
were in the safe. It is right to return to Mrs. Tatem 
her silver cake baskets ; to return to the proper owners the 
silver taken from the house of Mr. Bilisolly, and also the 
wine and brandy taken from his house, and if it cannot be 
returned to punish those who have put it out of the power 
of the Government to do right. It is right to return to 
Daniels & Zantzinger the fifteen thousand dollars taken from 
them, and to reimburse Hodgins for violently turning him 
out of his house, and those who occupy the house should 
pay the money ; and to require the speculators to reimburse 
the farmers whose land they have stripped of timber, if these 
farmers have taken the oath and have not violated it. Wil- 
liams and all the other parties that have been turned out of 
their houses should have their property restored to them, 
where they have taken the oath and not violated it. This 
done, and there is no fair man living but will say it is right 
that it should be done ; this would be that kind of righteous- 
ness which exalteth a nation. The news of its being or- 
dered would thrill the hearts of the Union men in rebeldom. 
It would be grateful to every loyal heart in the nation, and 
its news would create a little jubilee in those desponding 
hearts in this section. Loyalty would.prevail, and blessings 
would be poured out of grateful hearts upon the Govern- 
ment, where secret curses and imprecations now are being 
indulged in ; and as General Grant goes south this spring, 
hundreds of thousands will flock around his banner and 
kiss the old flag, conscious that no wrong will be sufifered 
where it floats. It will disarm hundreds of thousands of 
their stubbornness, and save the lives of thousands of Union 
soldiers. I am satisfied that these oppressions have done 
more to unite the rebels in the south and retard Union sen- 
timent there, though confined to a narrow compass as they 
are, than any thing that has occurred since the rebellion has 
commenced, and if not corrected their warning voice will 
go into the south, and General Grant as he goes forward this 



53 

summer, with his noble comrades, will have a hard road to 
travel. 

The natural condition of men is under civil government. 
The military is an organized artificial force to aid the civil 
law to assert its power when resisted by force. It is right 
that the civil discharge all the duties assigned it by society; 
if resisted, the military removes the resistance; when that 
is done it has performed its function. "Whenever it attempts 
to discharge civil duties it is wrong, and begets discord. It 
is right for the officers to attend to the duties assigned them 
by the rules of war; to drill and discipline the soldiers; to 
prepare him for etfective duty; to look after his health, and, 
as far as possible, to preserve his morals; to lead him in 
battle, and in all things to set him a good example. War 
is expensive, both in money and life, hence it should be short. 
I think there can be no controversy about these propositions 
being right in theory ; and their practicable application is 
this. If the military will drive all the rebel army out of the 
State I will reorganize every county in the State in less than 
six months, with loyal officers to execute the civil laws. 
If they will remove all the soldiers from the limits of the 
city of Alexandria, Norfolk and Portsmouth, except what 
may be necessary to guard the public stores, and pick up 
straggling soldiers that come into the cities, I will ensure the 
good government of all three of the cities through the civil 
government, and save the Federal Government at least thirty 
thousand dollars per annum by way of pay to military 
brigadiers and their staffs, and superfluous bands of music, 
for which the civil government will not charge one cent. I 
submit, in all earnestness, that the city of Norfolk, for in- 
stance, with fifteen hundred women congregated there "who 
are no better than they ought to be," is not the place for 
soldiers or officers, who are expected to do efficient work in 
the field. In the city is not the place for the officer or sol- 
dier to defend the city. Philadelphia and Washington are 
defended and protected by the Army of the Potomac. Nor- 
folk and Alexandria should be protected by the army out- 
side of the cities, and there is no sort of military necessity 
for a military governor being in either city — a battalion with 
a field officer as commandant of the post is all that is neces- 
sary. 

It will greatly relieve the complication of matters at Nor- 
folk to open the port, and appoint an honest collector. He 
could attend to the business with half the cost to the Govern- 
ment and much more benefit to all concerned. This would 



54 

geatly diminish the stock of goods kept on hand in those 
cities. This must be evident to any person who has ob- 
served the practical workings of the present system. A 
merchant now applies at Norfolk for a permit to ship goods 
into the city; he gets it signed there; he then sends it to 
"Washington for approval ; it is then sent to the custom house 
at Baltimore. This is done in a week; sometimes two or 
three weeks transpire; hence, a merchant to avoid trouble 
of permit, gets large supplies; and lest he should run out, 
replenishes soon; keeping on hand a large surplus; but 
open the ports, dispense with the permits, and he can send 
to Baltimore and get a return in 48 hours at furthest. 
Their cargoes with their invoices would be subject to in- 
spection by custom house officers. The same regulations 
would still have to be kept up as to blockade runners. But 
I would dispense with much of that force by hanging or 
shooting all the blockade runners caught. These rascals 
have no claim upon their lives when they put the country 
to millions of expense to watch them, besides a large num- 
ber of soldiers exposed to premature disease. In all such 
cases, when fairly detected, they should be hung. I think 
they are worse than spies. They combine the spy and the 
thief. 

The loyal people of Norfolk and Portsmouth paid near 
$25,000 of internal revenue last year; I do not know how 
much this. Many of them, however, have paid large amounts 
of internal revenue for licenses that have not been permitted 
to use them ; others commenced using and were closed up 
by the caprice of military commanders, and to make way 
for those who are in the same trade as monopolists. This 
is a reproach. 

I submit these suggestions with great deference. But 
the subjects I have embraced are so deeply interesting to 
the people I represent, that did I not call them to j^our at- 
tention I should be grossly criminal. 

I have been just as close to this war, ever since it com- 
menced, as I could without much danger of being hurt, and 
have observed as closely as I could all the time. I think I 
understand the subject about which I am writing, and I am 
satisfied that if the military rule had been practiced in West 
Virginia as it was in Alexandria for the last eighteen months, 
and in Norfolk for the last five months, that instead of the vast 
majority of loyal Union men that are there now sustaining 
the Government with men and money, and happiness and 
prosperity around them, there would have been a vast ma- 



55 

jority of copperheads and secessionists, and civil govern- 
ment could not have been sustained. Regiments that now 
fill the Union army would have been in the secession army. 
I mean precisely what I say. 

The question has been asked me, I am satisfied, a thousand 
times, " Does the President and Congress know of the op- 
pression practiced on us ?" They say, "We have great 
confidence in the President's honesty and the purity of Con- 
gress, and they will redress our wrongs." I have an abiding 
confidence, gentlemen, in your justice. 

I was born in Virginia. I desire to live in Virginia when 
this rebellion is subdued. I hope to see the old flag shortly 
unfurled in every county in the State, and the people ac- 
knowledging its majesty, and acknowledging with uplifted 
hands, the Constitution it represents to be the supreme law 
of the land. I never expect to have the love and sympathy 
of the rebels ; but by the grace of God, by doing right, I 
intend to command their respect. My ardent desire and 
sincere prayer is, that this rebellion may be speedily crushed, 
that freedom may be enjoyed, not only in the State, but in 
all the broad limits of the nation, and that when the impar- 
tial historian comes to make up the record, he may be able 
truthfully to publish, that in accomplishing this great result 
the Government never sanctioned a wrong that was done to 
any man, however humble. 



I 



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